CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
The shower had helped me feel relaxed enough to take a nap. Sleeping the day away made me feel better, but I still looked like hell. I had fallen asleep with wet hair and, even though the color was more flattering than I had expected, I woke to a frizzy mess; the way I looked now went right along with the mania I felt. I threw on black sweats and a baggy black T-shirt and pinched my cheeks to bring a little color to the surface.
I heard Elodie’s voice as soon as I stepped into the hallway. If her shift was already over, I must have been asleep for a long time. It sounded like she was hushing someone in conversation, but when I peered around the corner, she was alone in the dark living room with her laptop on her lap. A man’s voice was coming through the speaker.
“Don’t lie to me,” he said in an accusatory tone.
I thought I heard him wrong, but he said it again. This time his words seemed even more demeaning. I didn’t want to intrude, but I was concerned for Elodie.
“Cooper’s wife told me that you were over there. His wife tells him everything, unlike mine.”
Phillip?Shit.
Elodie was crying. I had to hold on to the door handle of the hallway closet to stop myself from butting into the conversation and her business. I didn’t know what Phillip was talking about, but I knew I didn’t like the sound of his voice. I had never seen that side of him or heard it. I couldn’t tell if his wife was used to it or not. I immediately wondered if Phillip was, like Kael, not what he seemed.
“I’m not lying,” she pleaded. “We stopped there for an hour at most. We went to the meetings, then to that house. There weren’t any guys around.”
My phone in my hand dinged as my brother’s name popped up on my screen. I knew Elodie must have heard it, but I tapped my fingers against the wall, just in case, to let her know I was coming into the room. She perked up and wiped at her tears.
“Phillip, Karina’s just walked in,” she cautioned him.
“Hey, Karina,” Phillip said, his voice nice and friendly, a complete transformation from what it had been.
I threw him a bland “hey” and walked into the kitchen. My intrusion seemed to stop their conversation. I decided to stay out of the living room and wait for Elodie to finish. Dishes were piling up in the sink. Wet laundry had accumulated in the washing machine and I opened the dryer to clear it, feeling taunted yet again by Kael as I placed folded clothes in the basket. I couldn’t even blame the mess on my emotional despair because the breakup had happened barely twelve hours ago.
Elodie signed off Skype and met me in the kitchen as I stood washing the dishes. She didn’t seem ready to say anything for a few minutes, and I kept myself busy cleaning up. I gave her a moment to herself as she sat silently at the table.
“Everything okay?” I asked eventually. “Is Phillip coming home?”
She shook her head and I went to sit down across the table from her. Elodie’s eyes were bloodshot; the tip of her nose was red as fire. I didn’t want to press her, but she was obviously not okay.
She handed my question back to me. “How are you feeling, Karina?”
“I’m fine. Don’t let the hair fool you. Elodie, you know you can talk to me.”
“You have your own problems.” She tried to smile.
“We’ve done enough talking about that. I’m here for you, too.”
She nodded. “I’m okay. It’s only Phillip imagining things when he hears the other soldiers talk. Why is there so much drama? Don’t they have anything better to do?” She sniffled and rubbed her nose. “How areyou?”she asked, reaching a hand across the table. I pretended not to notice as I lowered my hands onto my lap.
“I’m all right. Just tired,” I lied.
If she could lie to my face, I could do the same.