Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Isla’s head whips around. “Seriously? What was she saying?”
“That you’re having an affair and Sunny isn’t mine.”
For a minute, just a minute, Isla’s eyes flash. I study her and ask, “It ain’t true, is it?”
“Of course it’s not true,” she snaps. “Seriously, what sort of person do you think I am?”
“I told her it wasn’t true,” I mutter, getting back to preparing dinner. “She went off, saying she was going to prove it.”
“God, she’s crazy. I can’t believe we’re related, honestly. All she does is cause problems for me. She is doing drugs again, drinking, I think she needs help.”
“She needs a fuckin’ lot of help.”
“Sorry she came here and caused problems.”
I say nothing.
What is there to say?
She can’t control her crazy fucking sister.
“How was the memorial?” Isla asks and I stiffen.
We put a plaque on a tree at the beach for Sean today, and then Carson left. He needed to get out town because he wasn’t coping. I can understand that. Every fucking time I close my eyes, I see his body covered in blood, his empty eyes staring blankly at the sky. I think of his cries and his horrific fucking death.
It’s haunting me.
“Fine,” I say, hand shaking.
“It’s okay not to be fine, Bohdi. He was your friend.”
“I said I’m fuckin’ fine, Isla. Let it go.”
“God, I’m only trying to help you!” she snaps.
“I don’t want your fucking help. I don’t want anything from you.”
I keep my hands busy, not looking up at her, knowing that every word coming out of my mouth is cruel, but I have no way to make myself care. I don’t care. It’s terrifying, to be this miserable. She deserves better, she really does, but I just don’t know how to get away from it without giving up my son, and my unborn son.
If it wasn’t for them, I’d be long gone.
Away from all of this hell.
From this shack.
From the pain.
“Then why are you here, Bohdi?” she screams so loudly Sunny starts to cry.
I glare at her. “Keep your voice down.”
“I’m so tired of trying to make you care. You don’t care. You can’t stand me. Why are you here? Why don’t you just leave?”
“Why don’t you fucking leave, Isla? Why are you still here?” I bark back, stopping what I’m doing to pick up Sunny.
“I will leave. I will. Fuck you.”
She turns and storms out, grabbing her keys on the way and slamming the door. I press Sunny’s cheek to my shoulder and whisper quietly, “There she goes again, son. There she goes again.”
Sometimes, though ... I wish she wouldn’t come back.
Sometimes, more often than not, I wish I had never met her to begin with.
I’m going to hell.
And I can’t fucking wait.
17
NOW – MERLEIGH
“Open the door!”
I pull my headphones out of my ears, pausing the podcast I was listening to, to hear someone pounding on my front door. A familiar voice.
“I know you’re in there, now open the fucking door.”
It’s Isla.
I close my eyes, taking a deep breath, and then I place my headphones down and walk over to the front door, opening it. Isla is standing, angry faced, glaring at me through the screen. She looks like she’s about to explode and I’m going to catch all the pieces. I take a deep, calming breath, and ask, “What are you doing here, Isla?”
“You know what I’m doing here, bitch!”
“Firstly, if you’re going to speak to me like that then you can come back another time. I’m not going to take it. Not in my home. If you’re willing to talk to me like a normal person, then I’ll listen.”
She scowls at me. “Do you talk to everyone in your fucking airy fairy voice and think it’ll work? It won’t work with me. You stole my husband and you’re ruining my family.”
“How so?” I ask.
“Because he told me he’s in love with you,” she screeches. “He told me he can’t be with me, that he wants a divorce and wants to work out a custody arrangement for Taj. Do you have any idea how that felt?”
Bohdi is in love with me?
He told her that?
My chest feels like it might just explode, but I keep it together. I’m not cruel enough to act happy about that incredible fact while his wife is here, screaming at me.
“I didn’t know any of that,” I say, and that’s the truth.
“You’re a fucking liar. I know you two have been up to no good.”
God.
She’s vile.
“First of all, we haven’t done a damned thing. I’m not that sort of woman and it offends me that you’re standing here accusing me of this. If you were so worried about how Bohdi felt, maybe you might have reconsidered cheating on him.”
She looks like I’ve slapped her, and I know I’ve just unleashed hell.
“How. Dare. You,” she screams. “You have no idea what he put me through. He was unemotional and cold. I tried so hard to get him to love me, and he wouldn’t. He never loved anyone. He forced me into Daniel’s arms and it was the worst mistake of my life.”