“He does. She just keeps getting in the way,” she replied as she looked through her rearview mirror. No one was looking back at her... No one ever did.
For years, Vanessa had worked at keeping Venom away from her weaker personalities. Vanessa was the hopeful romantic, always longing to be loved. Valarie was the seductress who took over when Vanessa’s love interest began to wane. She would lure Carter back into their bed. Valarie would whisper all the naughty things that Vanessa wouldn’t ever be confident enough to say. It was Valarie who he’d spent his nights with, which only made Vanessa sadder. Even when she could have him, she didn’t.
Violet was the scared child who would wet Vanessa’s bed when she had a bad dream. But it was Venom who scared them all. He wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything. He was decisive and never regretted doing what needed to be done.
If the CIA had known about Vanessa’s friends, she wouldn’t have made it through her initial interview, but over the years, she’d learned how to let the world see only Vanessa. The others were always in her head, but unless drastic measures were needed, they stayed at bay, ready to tap in when necessary.
She eased herself down and lowered her window partially to hear and not be seen. She needed answers.
“I’m so glad you two finally found each other,” she heard the girl with the blue hair say. “Gosh, I hope someday to find my one and only love.”
Vanessa missed the chuckle and elbow that was aimed at Carter’s ribs. She was too busy trying to make sense of the situation. Why was the girl talking as if the woman with the buzz cut was Carter’s only love? Wasn’t the woman upstairs in the bed the one he swore to love? Wasn’t that what he told her?
Vanessa hated it when he apologized for their lovemaking. Valarie always blamed her for ruining the mood with her sappy words, but she meant everything she’d said to Carter. She did love him. She’d do anything for him, and had already.
Trying to get out of her own head, she moved closer to the window when they stopped behind her rental.
“Maybe after Gwen and I get settled, you can come and have dinner with us. There are too many dinners, and breakfasts to catch up on... So it might be a month or so down the line.”
“Geez, Carter, tell her all of our secrets,” the woman said right before she kissed his cheek.
Then Vanessa saw it. The woman, minus the hair and how she wore her makeup, looked just like the woman she’d tossed over the bridge. Too much like her. A sister?
“You screwed up again, Vanessa,” Venom yelled in her head.
“No, I didn’t. I saw her come out of the apartment. Carter had been there. I saw them.”
“Just another woman he’s screwing... other than us,” Valarie chimed in. “He should’ve been ours, but no, you had to get sloppy. This is all your fault. You’re the one who brought Venom into our relationship.”
“Shut up,” Violet cried. “You’re scaring me.”
“Why don’t you just die, shrinking Violet,” Venom growled.
“Don’t say that.” Violet’s tears were beginning to mix with Vanessa’s.
She had screwed up. She hurt the wrong woman. Carter had seen the other woman, but only to win back his sister-in-law. And it had worked, based on what she was seeing through her side mirror.
“Yuck. I’ve got to go. We’ll catch up later... if y’all can tear your hands off each other.”
Byte came in once more for a hug and gave them the signal to turn up the heat.
“Vanessa’s watching, and she’s not handling it so well.”
As Byte walked away, Carter turned his wife so she was facing him and still had an eye on the car.
“She’s right, you know.”
“About what?” Voodoo asked, never breaking their eye contact.
“That we have a lot to make up for.”
“I think it was you who said it... not Byte.”
“Umm, maybe so. Let’s start right now.”
Before she could reply, Carter lifted her chin with his forefinger and brushed his thumb along her cheekbone.
“Carter,” she whispered.