Page 213 of By A Thread
“I think so, but now I’m having flashbacks to Granny Mabel lying on the asphalt. I’m going to have to call in the big guns.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose while my best friend conferenced in his wife.
“You stupid motherfucking guy.” Delaney didn’t mince words.
“Already acknowledged, Del,” Harry said, stepping in. “How does he fix it?”
“Fix it? The man stuck his fingers in her open wound and rooted around in there. He conned her into caring about him, trusting him, and then he abandoned her just like her mother did.”
Fuck.
“You want someone you can trust with your nightmares. Not just your dreams. She showed you her nightmare, and you walked,” Delaney continued.
“Babe. Focus. How does he make it right?”
“Listen, I don’t know about Ally. But there wouldn’t be any fixing this for me.”
“So what you’re saying is this is worse than Granny Mabel.”
“Harry, honey, you could have backed over Granny Mabel six times, and this is still worse.”
My desk phone had incoming calls. Several of them. “This has been really helpful, guys. I’ve got to go.”
There was a knock at my door, and Irvin sauntered in.
“What can I do for you, my boy?” he asked.
“Irvin, you’re fired.”
70
Dominic
To: Ally
From: Dominic
Subject: I’m so sorry.
Fun Fact: I’m terrible at apologizing.
The words “I’m sorry” didn’t mean anything when I was growing up. They just meant “I wish I hadn’t gotten caught.” Or “I’ll do it again.”
I realize it’s pathetic to be 45 and still not know how to say those two little words. But I’m sorry, Ally. I’m so permanently, painfully, unforgivably sorry. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But that doesn’t stop me from hoping for it.
Yours Always Even Though I Don’t Deserve You
Dominic
* * *
To: Ally
From: Dominic
Subject: Getting to know me
I’ve only recently learned that my nickname is the Vault. I don’t trust easily. I don’t share easily. And in an incredible dent to my male pride, apparently I’m always waiting to be taken advantage of. All of this should have come up in the “getting to know you stage.” Which we skipped over because I was too focused on the “getting you naked.”
