neck, her temple and forehead. When he stopped, Tina heard his breath rattling on the edge of his lips.
“We might need to go soon,” he whispered, voice mostly stuck in his throat. She nodded weakly in agreement. “When can I see you again?” His voice had returned, but barely.
“Maybe Monday evening. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment during lunch tomorrow.”
“That’s good. That’s for the dizzy spells, right?”
Tina nodded. “And other things, the headaches and abdominal pain. My friend Beth keeps swearing up and down it’s just stress.” With a nod, Tina sat up, pulling away from Brett slightly. “She thinks it’d all go away once I serve John with the divorce.”
“She’s probably right,” Brett said softly.
Tina didn’t acknowledge his comment. Instead, she stood and stretched, faking a yawn. “Goodness, I’m tired,” she turned to Brett, giving a flirtatious smile. “Walk me to my car?”
“Always.”
Accusations
Chapter Thirteen
When Tina entered her home, she knew that John had been waiting for her. The kitchen and living room lights were on. He sat on the couch, one leg propped up and the TV tuned into the news channel. By the time she had closed the door, he had the turned off the TV and waited for her at the kitchen island.
“I sent you a text. Did you not get it?” He asked quickly.
Tina avoided his eyes, dropping her purse on the counter top as she headed for the fridge. She didn’t need anything out of it, but she refused to face him. “I think I heard my phone go off at one point. I must have forgotten to check it,” she said carelessly. Opening the refrigerator door, her eyes washed over the contents, seeing nothing in general.
“Where were you?” John questioned from the island.
“At the park,” Tina reached for the jug of orange juice, feeling her body grow hot. She never hounded him with questions like this when he was out all hours of the night.
“You’ve been gone for nearly six hours.”
“I caught a movie matinee at three,” Tina cut him off.
“You think I’m stupid?” John yelled suddenly, causing Tina to freeze. She didn’t dare face him. Instead, she slowly closed the refrigerator door, proceeding to find a glass from the cabinet next. “So you’re going to ignore me now?” John’s voice was closer.
Clenching her teeth, she rushed to pour the orange juice, hands beginning to shake with anger.
“For weeks you’ve been staying out late. Ignoring my texts,” he had moved so close that she could hear his unsteady breathing behind her. “Why do you just cut your crap out and tell me who he is.”
Tina scoffed at his accusation, slamming down the empty glass after she quickly drank its contents. She faced John then, sticking a finger towards his face. “For months you have ignored me, slept over at your friends and taken whole weekends from me being wasted at your friend’s house—wasted!” She yelled back this time, unable to control herself.
“You refused to celebrate the day you proposed to me and you expect me to put up with this ?” Tina shook her head, stepping away. “You can forget it. You’re not going to talk to me this way.” Pushing past him, she snatched her purse from the island on her way to the living room. She hurried to the bedroom in the back of the house.
Once inside the room, she let out a breath of air, resting momentarily with her back against the door. With a burst of energy she rushed to the connecting bathroom, splashing her face with a handful of cold water from the sink. She hadn’t expected him to confront her like that, let alone yell. He never yelled.
She tossed another handful of water onto her face, then met her eyes in the mirror. If it’s the truth, why was I so offended just now?
She didn’t have the answer to her own question.
Not Quite Impossible
Chapter Thirteen
“Hopefully you have some good news for me,” Tina said eagerly as the door opened. She sat on an