I gave her a meaningful nod and turned my attention back to the group. “He’s really an amazing guy. I don’t know what any of you are talking about. I mean, you have your biases, for various reasons.” I took a quick look at Maddie. “But none of you really know him.”
“I do,” Elizabeth said.
“Do you really?” I asked. “He won’t stand next to you for longer than two seconds. I seriously doubt he’d open up to you. The only one here who doesn’t have a warped opinion of him is Cara, and she seems to think he’s perfectly fine.”
“I do.” Cara took a puff of smoke.
“I’m not biased,” Maddie said.
“You’re bitter,” Cara countered. “And it shows.”
Maddie frowned but said nothing.
“Just what is it?” Elizabeth asked. “What is it about him that you like so much? Cause I don’t see it.”
The girls leaned forward to hear my answer. “I don’t know,” I said. “He’s intense. When he looks at me, it’s like I’m the only thing in the world that exists. And he’s passionate. Sure, it makes him unpredictable, but it’s exciting, too. And, I mean, just look at him. Actually, don’t, because he’s mine. But the best part of all,” I looked at each one of them in turn, “is it’s not about him. He just wants me to be happy. That’s what he likes.”
“You mean,” Elizabeth said, looking like she was about to be sick, “in bed.”
I shrugged and smiled mysteriously. “Take that however you want.” Cara blushed. “And, Maddie, I’ll tell you what I told Elizabeth. I don’t need anyone to validate my relationship. I know what I have.”
“No, sweetheart, you don’t,” Maddie said. Elizabeth nodded in agreement. “He’s not into you. Not like you think. He doesn’t get into anyone.”
“That’s why he calls me the first wife,” Elizabeth said. “He doesn’t believe in love. He’s allergic to it. He says it’s a fairy tale, made up to boost people’s self-confidence.”
“It’s not just that,” Maddie said. “He’s incapable of love.”
Cara laughed. “Just because he won’t get with you doesn’t mean he’s incapable of love.”
Maddie made a face like she smelled shit on her upper lip. “It’s not about that. I’m over him.”
“Sure,” Cara said, flicking ash from her cigarette.
“I mean it,” Maddie said. “None of us have ever seen him with a woman. He openly criticizes the idea of love, and I can tell you for absolute certain he’s never had a girlfriend other than Maria.”
“How do you know?” Elizabeth asked.
“He told me. He doesn’t do it. There’s something physically wrong with him. All he thinks about is sex.”
“And I’ll bet you know that from personal experience,” Cara said.
I gave her a long, hard stare, daring her to admit it. She met my eyes with a smirk and said. “We all know he gets around.”
“That I believe,” Cara said. “But there’s nothing wrong with a good fuck every now and then.”
“Amen to that.” Elizabeth put her cigarette out.
I caught Jake looking at me out of the corner of my eye. I looked back at him, uncertain of what to think about what Maddie was saying. I knew better than anyone that he had an appetite. Cara caught on that we were looking at each other. “That is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. Look at the way he’s looking at her.”
“It’s sick,” Maddie said. “I hope you wake up soon, before he tears you to shreds.”
“Maybe he’s learned from his mistakes,” I said, looking at Maddie. She stood up, pushed her chair away, and stormed inside.
“She’s just bitter,” Cara said when she left. “Don’t you dare believe a word of it.”
“You know, I have never seen a more beautiful little girl,” I told Elizabeth as I looked over at Haylie. “You must be so proud.”
“Oh, thank you, dear.” She brightened up immediately. Haylie ran through the grass, trying to catch a fly. It landed on a blade of grass a few feet away from where she stood. She got down on her knees and inched closer to it, slowly, purposefully. Then she reached out her hands and tried to grab it.