Page 156 of Trust Me

I pause to look back at my mother-in-law.

“I don’t think Eve is the only person my son can’t say no to.”

I wrinkle my forehead, wondering what she’s trying to say, but the ringing phone in my hand distracts me. I smile and wave at her before getting into the car.

I let Dean’s call go to voicemail again.

When I arrive, I’m surprised to find Kyle and Eve playing another round of their video games. They’re so into the competition between them that they don’t hear me enter. I stand there watching them. Kyle lightly shoves Eve, making her giggle.

When she shoves him back, he lets out a grunt and promises that he’s going to kick her butt in this round. These are the moments that I store away for later. For when Kyle gets his official title as COO and he’ll want this marriage annulled.

That’s the way this is going to go. I know it. I just wish it wouldn’t end that way. I also hope that Eve doesn’t hate me too much when Kyle is no longer a part of our daily lives.

Thinking about it causes a pain to shoot through my chest.

“Aunt Riley’s home,” Eve says. “We can finally bake the cookies we bought.”

I shake off my previous thoughts and fully enter the apartment. “Did someone say cookies?”

Eve nods excitedly. “We bought ingredients to make chocolate chip. Stasi told me her secret recipe. And she gave me notecards with all of the instructions.”

My phone starts ringing again, and I look at Kyle.

“Hey, Eve, why don’t you put our game away and set out the ingredients for the cookies while I talk to your aunt?” Kyle suggests.

Eve happily agrees while Kyle takes me by the arm and guides us down the hall.

“What’s wrong?” he asks before the door is even fully closed. He searches my eyes, the pinched skin between his eyebrows signaling his concern.

“Dean.”

That one word causes a scowl to make its way across my husband’s handsome face.

“I should’ve taken care of his stupid ass already.”

Without another word, Kyle takes my phone from my hand and answers. “What the hell do you want?” he demands.

There’s a pause and I can’t hear Dean’s response.

“Yeah, I thought you would like that.” He chuckles, and it sounds as if it’s mocking whatever Dean has just said.

“Let me listen,” I whisper.

Kyle turns away from me. I hate the rejected feeling that grips me.Does he think I’m no longer useful to him? Is that it? He got what he wanted out of me and now he no longer wants me included?

“You won’t be speaking with my wife now or ever again,” I hear Kyle say. “By now you should’ve figured out that your plan was dumb as shit from the beginning. Did you really believeyouof all people would be the downfall of my fucking family? Do you know who we are?”

“What’s he saying?” I whisper, desperate to hear more.

Kyle finally obliges and presses the button to put Dean on speaker.

“Fuck you!” he shouts, sounding even more disturbed than usual.

“You dumb fuck,” Kyle berates.

“Yeah?” Dean counters. “You think you’re so fucking smart and in control. It wasn’t like that when you were sixteen.” He lets out a cackle. “You actually thought I was your fucking friend. You let me into your house and everything. Just like that bitch. Then you fucking married her. You probably believe she really loves you.”

I flinch from Dean’s words.

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