Well. We’d see about that.
*
Lindsey arrived on Friday evening, all smiles and sass like usual. She hugged me tightly, then promptly took us out to a late dinner and bought us enough drinks that we were actually able to act like a couple again.
Daniel retired to bed early, leaving me and Lindsey sitting on the sofa, quietly chit-chatting about everything that came to mind. She’d managed to land another big client who was even more insufferable than the last, so we chuckled over her stories for a while as the clock ticked quietly in the background.
After a silence, she switched gears.
“Is everything going okay between you two?”
I hesitated. Obviously, we weren’t pretending as well as I’d thought. “I guess so,” I said, although nothing could be further from the truth. “It’s just tough right now. I’m not really sure why.”
“Danny tends to bring his work stress home with him,” Lindsey said, stretching her legs out in front of her. “He has trouble letting it go. I’m sure that’s not easy for you.”
“Yeah,” I said, vaguely, hugging my knees to my chest. The urge to be honest with her was almost overwhelming me. It was welling up in my throat. But I couldn’t. I knew I couldn’t.
“Hey, are you hungry?” Lindsey glanced up at the clock. “Jesus. It’s been ages since dinner. No wonder. I think I’m going to order a pizza, you want any?”
“Sure, I guess. Any kind. I’m not picky.” I played with a loose thread on my shirt while Lindsey made her phone call. I was trying to think of a way I could get advice from her without actually being honest about what was going on. The opportunity to get her unique perspective on Daniel’s behavior was just too tempting.
When she sat back down, I had something prepared.
“Do you ever feel like Daniel’s sort of…distant?”
“Oh, all the time,” Lindsey replied. “He’s just trying to protect himself - I don’t know why, but I always figured he let his guard down around you.”
“Maybe not as much as I thought,” I admitted. “Sometimes it’s like I just can’t read him. I have no idea what he wants from me.”
Lindsey was nodding, slowly. “It’s not easy,” she said. “I wish I had a simple answer for you, but even I can’t get him to open up, most of the time. He has to get there on his own. Most people do, really.” She looked off into the distance, thoughtfully. “He’s a tough nut to crack, that one.”#p#分页标题#e#
The buzzer went off.
“Well, that was fast,” Lindsey said, getting to her feet. “Somebody’s getting an extra good tip.”
She flung the door open.
A voice came into the room from the hallway:
“Where is he?”
My heart dropped into my stomach.
Florence stormed into the room, unkempt and rain-drenched, dripping all over the floor. I must have stared at her like a deer in the headlights. Even knowing what I now knew about her, I still couldn’t quite reconcile the sight of her, unhinged like this, with the woman I’d known.
“Who the fuck are you?” Lindsey demanded, looking like she wasn’t sure whether to laugh at her, or punch her in the stomach.
Florence was already charging towards the staircase. Lindsey ran after her, grabbing her arm and dragging her back. “Whoa, whoa, whoa there, crazy. Just where exactly do you think you’re going?”
Florence fought and twisted, her eyes dangerously wild. “I have to talk to him,” she insisted. “I have to talk to Daniel. He’ll want to see me.”
“Maddy, call the cops.” Lindsey was maintaining a vice grip. “I don’t think Danny needs to talk to you, honey.”
“DANIEL!” Flo shrieked, loud enough to make me flinch. The bedroom door popped open a few moments later.
The look on his face was priceless.
He thundered down the stairs, wearing just his pajama pants, but still managing to look incredibly threatening. I actually took a step back as he reached the main floor, snatching Flo’s arm away from his sister’s grasp and staring her down.
“What are you doing here?” he snarled, his chest rising and falling quickly with every breath.
“I just needed to see you,” said Flo, very sweetly, her attitude completely changed. “Your friend here let me right in.”
“I’m his sister,” said Lindsey, frostily. “And I was expecting a pizza.”
Flo was giving him the puppy-dog face; it made me feel vaguely sick to my stomach. “I just want to talk to you, Dan. Please. Don’t make me do something I’ll regret.”