“True.” Indigo walked with me into the living room where we’d spent countless hours sitting on my couch talking as she said, “I’ve done nothing but read up on your husband. He’s seriously hot. My bosses want me to use the new family connection to get him on cereal boxes.”
Oh. This was about impressing her impossible boss at the advertising company that she hated. I shrugged and said, “Michael will be here in a week, you can ask him yourself.”
“I don’t have a lot of time tonight to stay and dig everything out slowly like I normally would.” She sipped her wine and stared at me. I did the same as I wasn’t sure what to say anymore. Then she said, “For a bride, you don’t seem happy, Sis.”
What could I do? Lie to my sister? I massaged the side of my face and hoped I hadn’t winced. Then I stared at my white colored wall and said, “I…I don’t want to leave my house and move to New York.”
She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “Tell him that.”
I sipped and nodded my head as she was right. It took a while to get there but finally I flipped to face her and said, “I need to not be wishy-washy.”
She finished her glass, stood, and said, “Well, you’re safe and I have to go.”
Go? Indigo hadn’t said anything when I'd texted. I walked her to the door and asked, “Where?”
She hugged me and took her keys out as she said, “I…I’m going with my boss to Vegas.”
Normally, she complained all the time about her boss, but today she hadn’t complained once. I narrowed my gaze and asked, “This is fast. Are you eloping?”
Her face went white like I’d shocked her, and she shook her head as she said, “Don’t be crazy. It’s work, though I did book the Venetian because your wedding pictures made me slightly envious.”
My wedding. I’d been so lust-filled with love blooming in my eyes I hadn’t thought straight. Indigo checked her hair in the side mirror and I said, “I wanted to spend more time there.”
“Have fun,” I called out.
She waved and unlocked her car as she said, “It’s work, but I’ll check a few places out.”
I watched a movie, showered, checked on Jeremy, who was doing his homework, made us dinner, got ready for bed, and finished my bottle of wine without anyone interrupting the day.
It was like today was normal again.
As I turned off the lights in my house to go to bed, my phone finally rang. I saw Jeremy’s light was out and headed to my room where I answered. “Michael, your game went late.”
That sounded awful. My stomach flipped as that was no way to greet him. My palms sweated like I’d run a mile.
“I’m three hours behind you today.” He said it like that didn’t mean it was after midnight.
I ignored how my heart raced. This wasn’t calm or good. I closed my eyes as I said, “Right. Sorry.”
What if I never figure out how to be calm? I cringed against the wall.
Michael asked, “Are you okay?”
I opened my eyes and ignored how my body trembled for real as I said, “Yes. I mean no.”
He asked me, “What’s going on?”
Time to speak my mind. I’m not my mother. I lifted my chin, not that he could see me. But I stilled and said fast, “I don’t want to go to New York.”
“Georgie, I told you I wanted the money. I need the contracts to prove I’m the best in baseball.”
There it was. The line. If I crossed it, I might just turn into my mother, the silent woman who went to the other room. I closed my eyes to shut out the world. I’d never meet his needs and he couldn’t meet mine. I shook but I said, “Then go without us. I can’t live there.”
Michael said, “You’re being unreasonable.”
My eyes opened. I was safe in my living room with my white walls. His words didn’t push me or make me tremble. I could breathe. This was the right choice.
“So are you. If you loved me, you’d not ask this of me.”
He said, “That’s being crazy. I can get whatever your heart desires if I take this job.”
Money. That was his only goal. Not mine, not Jeremy. I picked up my wine glass and brought it to my sink. Then I said, “Then take it, but I’m not going anywhere near you.”
“What are you saying?”
I needed a broom and to stop shaking. I swallowed and said, “We shouldn’t have gone crazy and gotten married. It was a mistake.”
He asked in a higher pitched tone, “You’re leaving me because I want New York?”
“Yes,” I said and froze. I’d never be calm there. Once I stopped seeing Michael, then I’d be safe and not be pushed.
“You’re being unreasonable.”
“Goodbye Michael. We’re not going to New York,” I said and hung up to get my broom.
Maybe I was wrong about marrying Michael and thinking we had a shot. I was never going to quietly transform into someone who doesn’t speak out about her life or her son. If I moved with him, it would start. We were all better off this way.
Chapter 16
Michael
Never make phone calls in the car. I’d almost crashed a mile after I'd hung up the phone on my way back to the hotel. Luckily, I came to and slammed on the breaks.
Georgie’s pretty smile replayed in my mind from the day we met at the pool. And now our wedding in Vegas when she walked under the green archways toward me on that gondola.
Sleep hadn’t washed those pictures from my mind. Neither had driving to work the next day.
My blood ran cold as I headed to the parking lot for players.
We’re not going to New York. No discussion? Just no. I turned off my engine but stared at the palm trees of LA and tried to move. But I couldn’t. My memories of Georgie in the
