“Where are you now?”
“At the house. I kicked her out. Left the country club, raced home and tossed all her shit out onto the lawn. She followed me, raged at me in the front yard and swore she was going to call the cops. So I did it for her.”
Closing my eyes, I scrub my hand over my face. My dad’s imploding marriage was one big f**ked-up mess. “You called the cops?”
“Sure did. And I asked them to escort her off the premises since she wouldn’t leave. Considering my name is the only one on the mortgage, legally I have that right even though we’re married.” He pauses. “I met with my lawyer today and we’re proceeding with the divorce. The papers are being drawn up. She should be served in the next few days. I’m done.”
“Really.” My voice is flat and full of doubt. I can’t help it.
“Really. I know you probably find it hard to believe but I’m dead serious. She has wronged me so completely there’s no way she could ever come back from that. I can’t trust her. I’m done.”
If he only knew what happened between Adele and me, he’d probably be done with me too. I can hardly stand the thought. Besides Fable, he’s all I have. “Has she bothered you lately? Like in the last twenty-four hours?”
“No. I’ve not heard from her at all. I figure she’s staying with her f**king golf pro. Let her go see how uncomfortable her life will be, living with a punk-ass kid working a shit job? She’ll figure out real quick he wasn’t worth screwing up our entire marriage over.” The bitterness in Dad’s voice is overpowering. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard him sound so angry.
“If you need to get away from all the crap, come up here and hang out with me. I have the extra bedroom or you can grab a hotel room. Spend some time with me, clear your mind,” I offer. Fable probably won’t be pleased. She’s not a huge fan of my dad but I’ll worry about her later. I need to help him. He sounds off. Consumed with anger, and that can’t be healthy.
“I appreciate the offer, but no way am I leaving this house. With my luck she’d move her pretty ass back in here and never leave. Then she’d get me on squatter’s rights or some such shit. I can’t have it. I’m staying put,” he says determinedly.
I bite back the sigh that wants to escape. “Well, know the offer still stands.”
“I appreciate it, son, I do. I just can’t believe…” His voice trails off and he releases a shuddering breath. God, I hope he’s not crying. “I can’t believe she would do something like this to me. After everything we’ve been through, everything we’ve shared together, she goes and does something like this. It’s unbelievable.”
There’s nothing I can say. I can’t console him. I want him to run as far and as fast away from Adele as he can. But he loves her. For whatever reason, he loves her and now he’s hurting from her betrayal.
Imagine if he found out what I did to him. I think of Vanessa. I still don’t know the truth. No way do I want to go to Adele and demand the truth. She’d tell me one thing and Dad another.
Sick, twisted bitch.
I talk to Dad for a few minutes longer. More like me letting him rattle on for a while over how much she betrayed him while I listen and make the appropriate noises where needed. He can’t stop talking about it. He’s starting to repeat himself, saying the same things over and over, his voice full of fire, his anger and sadness so strong I feel it settle over me like a heavy, wet blanket.
But then I glance up and catch Fable standing in the hallway, her hair sticking out all over the place, my dark blue comforter wrapped around her naked body, her expression hesitant.
“Dad, I gotta go. Call me if you need me.” Before he can reply I end the call and go to her, slipping my arms around her and pulling her in, the bulky comforter preventing me from getting too close. “Hey, you’re awake.”
“I woke up when you slipped out of bed.” She rests her hands on my bare chest, stroking my skin. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I wish she would drop the damn comforter so I can touch her for real. “It was my dad. I guess the divorce is back on.”
Her hands still. “And that’s a good thing, right?”
“Definitely. I want her out of our lives for good. There’s been a lot of back-and-forth, though. I don’t know if I believe him.”
“What happened to make him want the divorce again?” she asks.
“I guess he caught her cheating on him. As in, he followed her and watched her hook up with a guy, then confronted her later.” Dad’s acting like a man possessed but I guess when a person’s been wronged so completely by the one they love, that person can tend to do crazy things.
“Wow. Sounds awful.”
“I know. My dad…he’s really upset.” I smooth my hand over her hair, trying to tame the wayward strands. I desperately want to change the subject. “You look pretty in my comforter.”
Fable rolls her eyes but her cheeks turn a delicate pink. “I think you’d say I look pretty in anything.”
“You’re right.” If I could I would forget about all of my problems and lose myself in her. She’s the only thing that feels right and normal in my entire universe.
“I should go,” she says softly. “I promised Owen I’d be home when he’s done with school. Plus I’m going out with Jen tonight and I need to get ready.”
Jealousy flares in my gut and I tamp it down. I’m being ridiculous. Like a macho ass**le who never wants to lose sight of his woman and that’s not cool. I trust her.