“Because you, us, it’s so fucking good, and I was afraid of the other shoe dropping, of falling even more in love with you and then losing you so I brought the shoe so I could be prepared for when it dropped. Not that it helped at all.”
“This was a fucking set-up, wasn’t it?” Phoebe’s harsh voice turned both of their heads. “You had those women come to see me to bring me here so you could what…enact some kind of lover’s shit.” She glanced around. “Are the others in the bushes videotaping this shit?”
“I was honest with you,” Arissa said. “From the start.”
“What others?” Hank asked, clearly confused.
Arissa turned back to Hank. “Yesterday, the Belles, it was Phoebe we went to see.”
“The Belles,” he huffed and grumbled, “Always the fucking Belles.”
“I can’t believe I actually came here for this.” Phoebe threw her hands in the air. “I should have followed my gut instinct.”
“Hank didn’t send those texts.” Arissa reminded her.
“Yeah.” Hank spoke loudly and continued firmly, “What’s with your guy showing at my fucking house complaining about texts I never sent?”
Some of Phoebe’s ire faded. “I can’t explain that.” She inhaled then let it out slowly. “Just the language made it clear to me it wasn’t from you.”
“So who did and why? To what end?” Arissa said. “It’s the feeling that there’s more going on here that had me going down this path to begin with. Maybe my deductions are off, but something isn’t right.”
“Language?” Hank asked but kept on. “So someone did text you saying it was me?”
“Yes.”
Hank shook his head. “And you didn’t find this fucking odd?”
Phoebe squared her shoulders. “I just found out about it yesterday.”
“Wait?” Hank’s head was turning. Jesus, he had solved two murders during his time as sheriff and didn’t have this much confusion, but you toss two chicks in the mix and it all gets jumbled. “You found out yesterday?”
“Yes,” Phoebe said firmly. “When Arissa told me about Bruno coming to you.”
“So, you didn’t use me to get shot of him?”
“No.” She looked to her feet and confessed, “I did get shot of him because of you, because I can’t get over you. But really, Bruno has nothing to do with this.”
“Why did you leave?” Hank shot at her. “If you’re so in love with me, why leave?”
Phoebe looked at Arissa for the answer. Arissa just stared back because the truth had to come from her lips. Phoebe breathed in a deep breath before she told Hank the truth. “Your mom—”
“Jesus,” he grated.
“No, Hank,” Phoebe said and went on. “Seriously, it was your mother. You don’t know this but when your back was turned, she was nasty to me. Always throwing words for no reason. I got fed up, went at her, told her I’d tell you.” Hank just stared at Phoebe but was seeing through her. Once cloudy memories were becoming clearer. Every time they were with his parents, afterwards, he and Phoebe had tension. Hmm. Phoebe continued. “She told me she’d ruin my life if I didn’t leave yours. Bring up my past and splatter it everywhere.” Hank remembered that Phoebe had a shitty past and it took her time to build herself up from the shit she was served by her own parents. So Hank knew how much she cherished the life she had made for herself. “So…” She looked down and when her eyes came back to Hank they were apologetic. “She offered me money, a cruise she had won to leave town and never come back.”
“The cruise to Bermuda,” Hank said in a whisper, remembering his parents winning it but never going. He looked at Arissa, didn’t say words but asked the question with his eyes.
“The first time I met your mom was at the garden center. She approached me.” Arissa paused. “Thinking back on it, she practically made a beeline to me. Told me she had reason to believe you were going to be settling down soon. I thought she was talking about me. It made me a little breathless that you’d already shared me with them but then…” Arissa’s gaze moved to Phoebe. “She told me that Phoebe was the love of your life, you know the kind of couple that were just meant to be and that Phoebe would be coming back…to you. It was that, which got this whole stupid ball rolling.” Now that she was purging, the words just tumbled out. “Dinner at their place. It wasn’t just a cross examination, it was an interrogation, and when she came to your house unannounced she made it very clear she didn’t want me in your life. Even implied you had been on a date with Brianna while we’d be together and that Brianna was looking forward to a repeat.” She softened her voice when she added, “Given all that, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn it was your mother sending those texts. What I don’t understand is why?”
“Showed at my house?” Hank literally scratched his head. Wasn’t sure if it was the confusion and confessions hitting him all at once, or the ache dancing around his skull.
“One day when you were at work and I was taking pictures at your house for the spread, she showed up. My car was in the garage, so I don’t think she knew I was there. She was taking pictures
