The Husband Beside Me(24)

“You’re one to talk. You hardly ever talk about you and your life,” Daimon turned it on me.

“Fine. Ask me. Ask me anything.” I regretted my words the moment I said them, but I knew it may be the only way Daimon could start talking.

“Your mother, what exactly happened?” he asked, gauging if he pushed too far. I picked up my drink and took yet another swig.

“I begged her to make a special dinner for me. I know it sounds stupid, but we never had the time or the money to do that. I wanted that day to be about me and how hard I worked, not only in school, but at the diner too. I wanted my day. I kept pushing her, telling her it wasn’t fair. She even got into an argument with me the day before when she finally relented, saying I was ungrateful, but like a stupid teenager, I didn’t care, as long as I got what I wanted. She left the diner early that day and went and bought all the things I had begged for. I arrived home early enough to wash off the shitty water you spilled all over me and began to get ready for my little party. The hours kept passing yet she didn’t come home.” I stopped and drank again. I could feel my throat burn, the words aching as I spoke them. “It was a hit and run. I know I didn’t outright kill her. I’m not that delusional to think that, but I still feel responsible for her death. I was exactly what my mother said I was: an ungrateful child. My greed killed her.” I cried silent tears, each of them gradually falling down my cheek. “Well, there you have it.”

“You didn’t—” Daimon started, but I held up my hand.

“Don’t,” I sobbed quietly.

Daimon sat, silenced by my story. He waited, but finally broke the stillness that befell us.

“You know I wasn’t the one who did that to you that day,” he noted

“Of course it was,” I shrugged. “You always did stupid, crappy things to me throughout high school.”

“I was just teasing you,” he hissed.

“That was teasing? You call pushing me into the school’s pool with my uniform teasing, or dropping the cafeteria food all over me, that was teasing?” I was totally taken aback.

“I was just fucking around with you,” he said, taking the last of his drink.

“Fucking around?” I repeated.

“Do you have any idea what ‘your special attention’ did to me throughout high school?” I questioned, but seeing the confusion on his face told me he had no clue.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“Forget it. It’s not even worth bringing up.” I leaned far back into my seat to gain distance. How could I feel anything remotely for him after everything he’s done to me? I seriously must have issues.

“Addie, what the hell are you talking about?” he asked curtly.

“I don't want to talk about it,” I said flatly. Daimon grimaced and stood up.

“It’s time to go home. Now,” he said forcefully and walked out, leaving me in his booth alone.





High School Revealed


It was our usual habit of there being silence on the drive home after a night of Addie and Daimon’s one-on-one. We were constantly butting heads and that night was no different. We both did the same thing when things didn’t go exactly our way. We shut down completely. Daimon even woke up early that morning and left without even talking to me. I didn’t understand why he was upset; he admitted he was the one teasing me. High school was atrocious; every day I suffered someone’s wrath. Whenever Daimon pissed someone off, they came right at me, thinking I was the way to get at him. I refused to get involved and I tried hard to just focus on my future, but that was all taken away.

I walked Drako and ate a normal breakfast. I hadn’t realized Daimon was keeping an eye on my eating habits.

I figured I’d head out to see Darren, and depending how it went, I would then go to my father’s. I dressed up in a stunning black pencil skirt, with a white fitted button-down shirt. I’d always wanted a skirt like this, but could never afford it. It felt nice to have such expensive clothes. I was never going to tell Daimon; I would never live it down. Plus a big part of me felt guilty for having it all.

Phil called a cab for me. I wasn’t dumb enough to take the town car that Daimon had assigned to me. I asked the cabby to drive me down to Darren’s bar. My stomach drop at the thought of seeing him. I felt horrid that things were the way they were.

Finally making it to the bar, I stood out front, my nerves getting the better of me. It was really early and the bar only opened up at seven, but I knew that on Wednesdays Darren was there from noon to take inventory. I walked up to the door and opened it. He never locked it when he was here. I didn’t understand why. Arcade Fire’s “We Exist” was playing over the speakers while Darren was sitting at the bar with his back to me.