Page 81 of Malicious Wedding

I turn and storm away before he can refuse, leaving the ring behind.

Chapter35

Ash

The ring shows up the next morning along with a bag of bagels and a smaller bag with Gatorade, some Advil, and a note:I only want you to be happy. I only want to take care of you. Carson.

“Got to hand it to him, the guy’s persistent,” Bernie says, munching down her second consecutive bagel breakfast. At least she’s enjoying this.

“It’s creepy. He stalked me down last night only to leave the ring. I tried to get rid of it again, and it still shows up the next day.”

“The Advil and Gatorade was a nice touch though.”

Grudgingly, I take some of the medication. I’m not exactly hungover, but I can feel the beginning of a headache forming already. Mostly from the stress of having a straight-up stalker husband. “I just wish he’d get the hint.”

“Do you though?” Bernie studies me as I hold the ring up to the light, wondering if a blowtorch would be enough to melt it down into slag. “The short time you were with him, you were actually happy.”

“Why do you keep defending him?” I glare at her. “Seriously, Bern. Why did your tune change so much?”

“Because it’s the truth. You knew he was a total freak from the start, right?”

I hesitate, head moving from side to side. “I figured it out pretty fast.”

“So why are you pissed to learn he’s exactly what you knew he was? The guy’s a total nutjob, but he’syournutjob, and you already admitted you were starting to like it. Besides, I think it’s sweet.”

I make a fist around the ring until the diamond bites into my skin.

“I don’t want to keep having this conversation.” I look at Bernie hard. “I get it. You think I’m overreacting, but I’m not.”

“Okay,” she says, voice gentle. “I hear you.”

“If you keep pushing, I’ll go stay at my own place.”

“You don’t have to be alone right now. I’ll stop.” She hesitates, chewing her lip. “I’m sorry. I just think you might be making a mistake.”

I stare down at the ring in my palm, at the indent it left in my skin.

“That’s the thing I hate about Carson right now. Mistakes are mine to make. They’re part of being alive, but he took them from me. He never gave me a chance to figure it all out for myself. Now it’s time to be done with this.”

I stalk into the bathroom. Bernie follows, looking nervous. I open the lid, stand over the toilet, then drop the ring into the water.

I flush. It disappears.

“Should I say a few words?” Bernie asks, eyebrows raised. “Here lies a multi-million dollar ring, flushed into oblivion?”

“Save it for my own funeral,” I say, brushing past her. “Now, I’m having a stupid bagel. I’m hungry.”

* * *

A few days later,I’m back at the hospital. Iain looks sunken in his sheets, but his eyes are less haunted now, less red and swollen. He sits up, drinking water through a straw and painstakingly shoveling yogurt into his mouth. “You know the cliché about hospital food?” he asks. “It’s all bullshit.”

“Oh, yeah?” I lean back in my chair, smiling a little.

“It’s the most delicious stuff in the world.” He talks through mouthfuls of yogurt. It’s gross, but the guy’s got multiple gunshot wounds, so I’m cutting him some slack. “When you’re almost dead, anything’s good, and this stuff is basically divine.”

“I’m jealous.”

“You should get shot then. It’ll do wonders for your appetite.”

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