Page 42 of Nothing Left
For a second, I get lost in the kiss.
But all too soon, he releases me, and reality slams back into my face.
I have to navigate the long walk to the restrooms alone. The moment I step away from his side, the sneers show their teeth. The whispers grow louder. I quickly duck inside the bathroom, pee, and walk out of the stall to wash my hands.
Two women slide up beside me.
They trap me between them with smiles that feel evil.
“Maya, right?” the brunette asks.“Valeria’s little sister. God, it’s been a while. You look… completely different. We almost didn’t recognize you out there under Graham’s arm.”
“Thank you,” I mutter as I reach for a linen towel.“If you’ll excuse me—”
“Oh, don’t run off yet,” the blonde cuts in, blocking my path to the door.“We were just saying out there how tragic the whole situation is. Poor Valeria. To be locked away in a facility like that… it must be breaking your heart. How is she doing? Does she even realize Graham has moved on so quickly?”
They’re fishing.
They want gossip.
“My sister’s health is private,” I say, trying to hold on to my courage.“And so is my relationship with Graham. Now, please let me pass.”
The brunette lets out a patronizing hum.
“Private? Sweetie, you walked into a public gala with the man who dissolved his marriage to your sister. And look at your back.”
She steps behind me, her finger gently trailing down my spine. Even though the touch is gentle, I can feel her bitterness.
“He’s showered you in hickeys. There is nothing private about showing up looking like a whore on his leash.”
“Watch your mouth,” I hiss.
“Or what?” the blonde snarls, dropping the nice act.“Let’s call it what it is, Maya. You stole your sister’s husband. The second she got sick, you crawled right into her bed.”
“I never slept with him when he was married to my sister,” I gasp out.“I never did.”
The two women burst into laughter.
“Oh, please,” the brunette mocks.“Are you going to pretend you’re not a homewrecker? You slept with a married man.”
“I told you, I didn’t!”
Why am I defending myself against them?
These women are nothing to me.
I don’t need to prove myself to them.
Yet I think I am because their words reflect what the darkest parts of my mind whisper to me at night.
“Right. So you just flirted with him under her nose instead?” the blonde hisses.“You convinced him to divorce her so he could fuck you? You stole her life before her bed was even cold.”
I want to sink into the floorboards and disappear.
I want to cry.
But I force myself to fight.
I yank the restroom door open and step out into the hallway.
