Page 52 of Out of Bounds
“Did you hear from Ethan before you got here?”
“No. I kind of guessed I wouldn’t. He’s there for the bachelor weekend. He’s supposed to be there until tomorrow night. He’s not going to take a break a break from that to check on me.” Although he said I was likely to see him tomorrow.
I can’t allow myself to believe that because I know what he’s like. Or rather men like him. I doubt he’ll even sort out any paperwork to annul our marriage because he’ll probably be too busy getting laid.
My husband getting laid by someone who isn’t me.
Christ.
I shouldn’t even be thinking that. But damnit, I was irritated enough in high school when I saw him with his skanks and used to wish he could see me as more than the girl he picked on. What the hell am I supposed to be like if I’m married to him?
“I can see you’re worried about that.”
“I’m not.”
“Darlin, you and I both agreed we’d never lie to each other. Let’s not start now.” Shelby holds my gaze. “As much as you love your mother, I take it there’s a reason I’m the one who’s here and not her. I would never claim to be better than my sister at taking care of her daughter, but what you’ve made me is the person you can tell everything to. Please let me be that for you.”
I consider what she’s saying to me, and I honestly don’t know where to start.
“Okay. I am worried about that. Is that crazy? Is it crazy that it would crush me if I knew he was with someone else even though we got married and can’t even remember?”
“It’s not crazy.”
“But it should be because it’s not real.”
“I think parts of it are.”
“I don’t know Shelby. It’s Ethan and I can’t trust him like that.” As I say that I remember what he said to me earlier about trusting him to take care of everything. Now that I’m home I’m not sure about anything.
“You will figure this out. Right now, I think you need some rest. I wouldn’t speak to your mother or friends yet until you talk to him. Let them wait.”
I nod. That sounds like a good idea.
“Thanks for being here Shelby.”
“You don’t have to thank me for that. I’ll always be there for you whenever you need me. Now go on have a nice hot shower and get some sleep. I’ll stay over and make breakfast then I have a few errands to run tomorrow. I want you to stay in touch with me though.”
“I will.”
I head upstairs shower and change for bed, but I don’t sleep for a long time.
When I do, I hear Ethan’s voice whispering to me:tell me your dreams baby and I’ll make them come true.
That’s what he said to me. I keep hearing those words ringing through my mind for a long time.
And then I see us.
Me sitting in his lap with my dress riding up my hips as we made out in a club. Then us drinking at another bar and kissing again while he felt me up in the dark.
That’s when we got really drunk. I then remember us in the elevator, and I wake with a start.
The elevator.
I remember us in the elevator at the Bellagio. Ethan had just booked the room and we were on our way up to it to have sex.
My God, I’m starting to remember.
We started kissing in the elevator and that when we had the idea to have sex right there. No not we.
