Lost Along the Way(41)

“You know what, Meg? It’s not your problem, okay? Does that make you feel better? You’ve never done anything wrong and we are just horrible, evil people for driving all the way out here to check up on you. Did it ever occur to you that we were worried about you?”

“Why would you be worried about me? Don’t you have enough going on in your own life right now to worry about?” Meg asked.

“Well, when your husband told us that you’ve been out here alone for the better part of a year and won’t talk to him anymore, we found that to be cause for concern. I don’t know, I guess we’re just crazy overprotective or something.”

“He told you that?” Meg asked, the color draining from her already too pale face. “He really said that?”

“You should’ve seen the look on his face when we walked into his classroom. He thought we were there to tell him that something awful happened to you. What the hell is going on with you that that is the impression your husband has of your mental state?”

“Nothing’s going on with me. I’ve just decided that he’s better off without me,” Meg said, still trying to sound unaffected—and failing miserably because she was intrinsically one of the most sensitive people on the planet.

“That’s a nice decision that you made for him, but I don’t think he agrees with you. He’s a nervous wreck. To be honest, now I am, too. We came here hoping that maybe we could help.”

“You guys came here because you need something. Don’t make it sound like it’s all about me. Nothing has ever been all about me. Stop pretending that you’re here out of the goodness of your heart, because I’ve known you too long for that. Just tell me the truth.”

“You’re right,” Jane said, her frustrations overflowing. “I need some help, and I realized that I’ve made some very, very bad decisions in my life. I turned my back on everyone who really cared about me and surrounded myself with vapid, selfish people. I guess you don’t really learn those things about yourself when times are good and the champagne is flowing. I went to Cara’s to escape the camera brigade set up outside my soon-to-be-repossessed apartment, and she let me crash there for the night. It turns out that things aren’t all that great for her, either. Of course, you would know that, if you had given either of us a chance to talk to you before you ripped our heads off. That said, it seems like you could maybe use some friends too, so why don’t you stop being so f*cking stubborn and admit that you’re happy to see us!”

“What’s wrong with her?” Meg asked. “Did one of her pearls get scratched?”

“No, Meg. Actually, for starters, her jackass husband is abusing her,” Jane said. “Is that statement enough to force you out of your tough-girl act? It’s starting to annoy me.”

“What? Reed hits her? There’s no way,” Meg said. She squeezed the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.

“No, at least not that she’s admitted. I heard him talking to her, though. It’s psychological. He tells her what to wear, who to see, what she’s allowed to buy at the store. I think it’s been going on for years. You can pretend you don’t care anymore, but I know it’s complete bullshit. You care. A lot. And you know her mother died, right?” Jane asked.

“I didn’t. No,” Meg said, surprised at how quickly sadness overcame her. Cara’s mom had always been a second mother to both of them. She was the one who made sure they had the good ice cream at sleep-overs, and the one who picked them up from parties when they drank too much and couldn’t drive home. Cara and her mother were extraordinarily close, and losing her must have been outrageously painful. It must have been even harder for her to go through it without a husband who supported her or friends who even knew enough to send a card.

“I went to the funeral. I thought maybe I’d see you there. I was surprised when I didn’t.”

“I haven’t talked to Cara in years. I didn’t know any of this was going on. I never thought Reed was the fuzziest guy in the world, but I didn’t know things had gotten that bad.”

“Believe me, they have. He’s been awful to her, Meg, and she’s been all alone. She just had to sell her mother’s house. She cleaned out the whole thing with no help whatsoever. I don’t know why you guys are so angry at each other, and right now, I don’t care. Well, that’s not true. I’m actually really curious about it, but I’ve accepted that this is something that I’m going to have to pry out of one of you over time and probably after a few glasses of wine. Anyway, the point is, she has nowhere to go now except right back to Reed. She doesn’t deserve that. I don’t care what she’s done to you. Unless she slept with Steve. She didn’t sleep with Steve, did she?” Jane asked.

“No, Jane. She didn’t sleep with my husband. You’re the only one living out a soap opera.”

“I’m so glad we had this talk. I see you’ve been reading the tabloids. I don’t need to be reminded of the drama surrounding my life. I’m living it, remember?”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It sucks bad enough to be judged by strangers who don’t know any better. It’s excruciating to be judged by friends who should know that I’m not a criminal. Christ, I’m aware that no one is offering me up for sainthood, but is it really too hard to believe that I wouldn’t knowingly steal? Why are you even reading those stupid tabloid stories? You know they’re all garbage.”