Page 60 of Parker
I shake her gently, but she cuddles in more. Defeated, I glance up—straight into the devastated eyes of Nicky. She’s standing by the window watching us. How she got there, I don’t know. She must have moved through the house silently.
“Nicky,” I say, panicking at what conclusions she’ll jump to. “It’s not…”
“It’s not what it looks like,” she responds skeptically. “Well, what is it then? Please enlighten me. I’m dying to hear all about it.”
Ebony mumbles something in her sleep. Her hand sneaks around my waist. My stomach falls as I look from my wife to the woman wrapped around me. Releasing myself from Ebony’s arms, I stand and go to her.
“Stay away from me.” She holds her hands up to warn me off. “How long has this been going on?”
“What? Nothing has been going on.” My words spill incohesively in all directions. “She turned up a few hours ago to see how I was coping with everything.”
“I bet she did. Did she suck your cock better, too?”
“Don’t be so fucking stupid. She’s my oldest friend.”
“Me, stupid? No, darling. I see it all now. You’ve both been in this together. If you didn’t want me anymore, all you needed to do was divorce me. Why break my heart by sleeping with someone else?”
“I haven’t slept with anyone,” I shout. Groggily, Ebony sits up from the sofa; her low top has slipped down, revealing her breasts.How the hell did that happen?She blinks, stretching her arms above her head before readjusting herself. “Joel,” she murmers. “Did I fall asleep?”
Nicky’s eyes are livid. They look through me at the woman sitting on her sofa. She’s clenching her fists by her sides, and I see her lips move as she counts in her head. That’s Nicky’s coping technique, a way to control her emotions.
“Ebony,” I hiss. “Please explain to her there’s nothing going on between us.”
She giggles nervously. “Isn’t there?” My mouth drops open.
“Of course there fucking isn’t.” I run my hand through my hair in exasperation. My jaw ticking as my temper rises.
“I could tell her we’re not sleeping together,” she shrugs. “But she’d assume I’m lying, anyway.”
“What the hell are you playing at?” I snarl. “This is my marriage you’re fucking around with.”
Turning back to Nicky, I see her face pale as she watches the proceedings. Tears flow freely down her face—she looks broken as her thoughts merge, coming to their own conclusions. She drops her eyes to the floor, and my heart splinters.
Within twenty-four hours, it feels as if my life has been ripped from my grasp. Only yesterday were we making love on this very couch, besotted with each other, albeit struggling with our inability to have children.
“It’s not true. There’s nothing between Ebony and me. Deep down, you know that.”
“Don’t.” Her lips tremble. “Please, today has been the most horrendous day. I’ve lost my career, my reputation, and now I’m losing my husband. Please don’t try to convince me this isn’t happening. I can see it with my own eyes.”
Ebony sits silently on the sofa. I could kill her. I know she’s angry with my wife, but this is brutal.
“You need to leave,” I tell her.
“Why?” she spits. “I’m not doing anything wrong.”
“Because I need to speak to my wife, alone.”
Nicky walks toward me, standing directly below my chin like she has a thousand times before. Our eyes meet and I feel tears fill mine, an uneasy feeling creeping in.
Stay silent, please. Don’t say anything
She puts her arms around my neck, rising on tiptoe. I lean down and she kisses me softly on the lips.
“We won’t survive this. Whatever this is.” My heart constricts with each syllable. “Today has ended our dark fairytale.”
“But,” I interject. She places her finger over my mouth to silence me.
“But nothing. You believed I was a thief. I believed you were a cheat. No matter how much I love you, the betrayal runs deeper than love.” She cups my face with her hand. “Go find someone who fits the mold. It was never me. These years with you have been the happiest of my life, and for that, I’ll always love you.”
