“Oh, would you look at that,” I said, standing over him. “You and your wife will match now.”
“It was an accident,” he groaned.
I bent at my knees so both I and my gun were in his face. His eyes radiated fear and cowardice.
“Oh, why didn’t you say so? An accident? Well, that’s okay, then. What’d she do? Not press your laundry right? Fuck up the eggs? She must’ve deserved it then,” I said. Then I pistol-whipped him. “It was an accident when your mother got pregnant with you. That’s the only accident here.”
He blinked rapidly, holding his head and barely focusing.
I snatched the collar of his shirt. “See, you’re stupid. Because you had the whole world in your hands and all you needed to do was treat her right. It’s not hard with a woman like that, who’d rip her heart out of her chest for you. And she would’ve. But luckily, you showed your true colors early, so she didn’t waste a huge chunk of her life with you. She’s soft and tender, but she’s not weak, so she’s not going to blame herself or come back to you after you laid your hands on her. Luckily, she’s too much of a good person to let me kill you.”
I fastened the barrel to his forehead.
“Luckily for you. Not me. I would love to do it, trust me, but that would hurt Polly. And unlike you, I would never do that, even if it’s doing the world a favor.” I glared at him. “So here’s what’s going to happen, I’m going to get her stuff. You’ll stay here, weak and crying on the floor, where you belong. Where you were stupid enough to think Polly would stay. You won’t get up until after I leave. Then, when you’re served with divorce papers, you will sign them, along with half of everything you own, even the stuff you’ve hidden in places you don’t think anyone will find it.” I pressed the barrel harder. “I’ll find it. And if you’re hiding anything from me, Craig, I’ll hide your body so good only the aliens that take over our planet in a few hundred years will find your bones. Capisce?”
He leered at me. “You can’t get away with it,” he spat.
“Oh yes I can,” I said softly. “You know I can. You know who Polly’s brother-in-law is. You also need to know that the Sons of Templar have her back. They’re scary enough, but more importantly, I’ve got her back. And I know you think I’m a weak woman, but trust me, you haven’t seen shit. So be a good boy and don’t find out, ’kay?”
I waited for him to answer. I wasn’t impatient.
I only moved the gun when he nodded once.
“Perfection,” I said, dusting off my dress and putting my gun and bloody brass knuckles back in my Chanel.
It was late before Luke got home.
He was away chasing a skip. Usually I’d be with him, but the Golden Globes were on.
“You’re not coming out because of some stupid awards show?” he’d said that morning.
I gasped. “You take that back,” I demanded. “It’s the award show. The one to start the season. Jen and Ange are going to be attending. Both of them. Do you have any clue what that means?”
He stifled a grin. “None whatsoever, but I do take it back. It totally makes sense to miss work for it.”
I scowled at him, stifling my own smile.
He kissed me rough and hard. “Love you, babe.”
I smiled full-on at that. “Love you.”
He paused.
“I thought you were leaving,” I said.
“Just takin’ in the moment,” he murmured.
“What moment?”
“The one where I get to kiss my woman goodbye, knowin’ I’ll come home to her. Say three words that have been trapped in me for decades. Just like to savor it sometimes. That feeling. The one that tells me that life may be ugly and hard and violent, but it’s worth it for the fucking beauty of moments like this.”
His stare was unyielding.
“I… we… you can’t say things like that to me, Luke,” I snapped. “Men don’t say that in real life.”
“Guess I’m dreamin’, then,” he said. He kissed me again, that time soft and tender. “Bye, babe,” he murmured against my mouth.
“Yeah,” I breathed.
I hadn’t gotten to watch the Golden Globes, as it turned out. But I did have dozens of texts from Lucy telling me who she thought wore it better.
I got a pang looking at my phone thinking about how oblivious she was, thinking of dresses and feuds when her sister was sleeping away a broken marriage, a broken heart, and a very bruised face.
The door opened before I could contemplate whether I was being a good friend to one person at the expense of another.
“Honey, you’re home,” I chirped.
He was on me in three large strides. Granted, the apartment wasn’t that big. Despite everything, I melted into his kiss.