Belong (Seven Year Itch #3)(18)
I honestly felt bad for being negative. It wasn’t like me, and I had ill feelings regarding my behavior. I wanted to chalk it up to the death of my grandfather, but I knew it was coming from somewhere deep inside of me. Like a raging dragon being freed from captivity, I wanted revenge; or what some would just consider resolution. I’d been hurting for weeks, feeling betrayed and fearing the worst. For that same women to put on a fake appearance to seek the approval of the people around us, it was wicked. She wasn’t the person I married; the lost soul who needed saving. This cruel person knew exactly who she was and what she was doing.
I wasn’t her puppet. I refused to be some toy she could toss around and ignore once she tired of me. That’s not what marriage was about. I’d promised to love her forever, but now I was beginning to wonder if it was at all possible. I was sick and tired of the hatred she harbored.
She got a kick out of being a small-minded person, where I’d rather enjoy getting the most out of life, and appreciating the little things. Maybe it was because I came from money, and never knew what it was like to start from nothing. Sure, I’d built my company from the foundation, but I’d had the funds to manage it. Maybe she resented me for having a silver spoon. It was funny, she had no problem spending my money, now that she knew I had more than her. She’d already mentioned selling the mansion, which wouldn’t happen until I was dead in the ground.
As the crowds of people filled the large capacity hall, and people congregated mingling, I walked my small child up to the food table and got her something to eat. I didn’t bother turning around and looking for her mother to scold me. If Harper wanted a taste of every single godforsaken item on the menu, she was going to get her sample.
Just as I turned around to find a table she could sit at, I saw my wife. She was standing with her hands on her hips, raising her voice to another female. I almost dropped Harper’s plate when I realized it was Rachel.
I couldn’t get to them fast enough, almost dragging my daughter along the way so she was able to keep up. “What the heck are you doing?” I gritted my teeth as the words came out.
“She was just leaving, weren’t you, Rachel?”
Her eyes were full of tears as she looked in my direction. Whatever Veronica had said to her had gotten under her skin. She knew how to belittle people in order to make them feel worthless. “I should go,” slipped from her lips.
I let go of Harper, sat her food down on the table closest to me, and went running after Rachel. “Whoa, hang on a minute.”
She didn’t stop until we were outside. “I’m not welcome, Chad. Your wife has asked me out of respect for your family to stay away. It’s fine. I said my goodbyes to Charles earlier.”
“It’s not fine. Veronica didn’t even like my old man. She’s got issues with men.”
“She has issues with women as well from what I can tell.”
“It’s you,” I said in a whisper. “She’s threatened by you.”
“Why? I’ve done nothing wrong. We were friends, Chad. I loved your grandfather. We’re both hurting.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me. I want you here. You deserve to be here with me, with everyone,” I corrected.
“Like I said before, it’s not a big deal. I sent Stephanie home already, so I’ll pick her up and we’ll go have lunch somewhere in honor of Charles.”
“There was plenty of food here. You didn’t have to send her home.”
“I figured we’d spend too long catching up and she’d get bored. She was getting tired and needed to rest. I’m just glad Charles wanted to be cremated. I can’t imagine her trying to walk in those shoes she thought she could pull off.”
Rachel was changing the subject. She was avoiding the topic of Veronica. I felt it necessary to tell her why, but at the same time knew it would only open up old wounds I wasn’t ready to address. “I’m sorry. I had no idea she’d be like this to you.”
She touched my arm, sending chills up it. “As frustrating as it is, I understand. She’s threatened by me, by what we once were. To her, I’m just an old girlfriend. It doesn’t matter about the connection I shared with your grandfather, or the many years we spent working at the agency. All she sees is someone you once cared about. It’s natural. I understand.”
“It’s no excuse.”
Rachel leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, when she pulled away our eyes met for just a second, and I swear I felt that spark simultaneously igniting. “I’m glad I got to see you again, Chad. You haven’t changed. You’re still the same great guy I once knew. Take care of yourself.”
“Wait.” I couldn’t help myself. “I need to know you’re going to be okay.”
“This is exactly why your wife is overprotective. You care too much about other people.”
“I’d like to think I get it naturally,” I replied with a smile. “Seriously, Rach, I need to know you’re okay.”
She smiled, probably because I called her the nickname I’d used for her. She’d hated it at first, begging me not to use it, but I did it anyway to get a rise out of her. God I missed seeing her smile. “I’m fine. I’ve been through much worse. I’m a survivor. Isn’t there a song about it?”