No One But You (Silver Springs #2)(30)

“Even you have to be dying for a man by now.”

“That’s enough!”

“You think Dawson can satisfy you when I can’t?”

“I’m working for him! That’s all! I clean the house and cook.”

“You wouldn’t even need to be out there if you’d come back to me. We weren’t rich, but we were getting by until you decided to move out and screw up our lives.”

Our lives? She’d been much happier since she left him, despite the problems he’d caused since. “How do you figure?”

“Name one thing that wasn’t better back then!” he challenged.

Only one? She could give him a whole list. “You were the only one who could spend any money. I couldn’t so much as buy a new blouse, even after I started working at the diner.”

“That’s not true.”

“That’s absolutely true.”

“You weren’t contributing nearly as much as I was, that’s all. But I’ve been thinking about stuff like that. I realize I’m not an easy person to live with. I’m a perfectionist, exacting. But I’ll be more generous. I promise.”

“No.”

“Give me a chance!” he screamed, smacking his hand against the car.

The sound reverberated like a bullet. This was how an “incident” with Sly started—and it could get far more frightening as it escalated. “I need some time on my own,” she said. “I wish you’d respect that.”

“But you’re not on your own. You’re trying to get back at me by working for a murderer!”

“I’m not trying to get back at you!” she yelled, suddenly unable to hold back. “All I want is for you to leave me the hell alone. Don’t you get that? I can’t stand the sight of you!”

The color drained from his face. She knew as soon as the words were out that she’d made a terrible mistake. Sly didn’t allow anyone to talk to him that way, least of all her. There’d be a terrible reprisal.

“I have to pick up Jayden,” she said, speaking in a calm voice. Most of the time, she managed to tiptoe around him, but she’d been too tired tonight, and he’d pushed her too far. “Petra’s expecting me. I’ve left him too long as it is.”

“If you think I’ll ever let you divorce me, you have another think coming,” he said through gritted teeth.

She threw up her hands. “Then shoot me now. Because I can’t take any more!”

“Careful what you wish for,” he snarled and stalked back to his car.

A moment later, he tore past her, tires spewing gravel. She dropped her head against the steering wheel, trying to calm down, but she was still shaking when she picked up her cell to call Dawson.

“I...I need to tell you to be on the lookout,” she said as soon as he answered.

“Sadie?”

“Yeah. It’s me. I just...” She struggled to catch her breath. “I have to warn you. Sly was waiting for me when I pulled out of your drive. He’s been watching the house. He could come back. Now or...or later tonight. There’s no telling when.”

“You saw him?”

“He was waiting for me when I got off work. I just spoke to him.”

“I can tell by the sound of your voice that it didn’t go well.”

Squeezing her eyes closed, she leaned back, but the tears she’d been fighting began to flow anyway. “No. I made a mistake.”

“What kind of mistake?”

“I told him I’d never come back to him, and—” she covered her phone so that she could sniff without him hearing her “—I’m afraid he’ll blame you. Like I said, he could show up there now or...or late at night and do... I don’t know what. Try to make things difficult for you. I’m sorry.”

There was a long pause. “I’ll be okay,” he said at length. “But...you live alone, right?”

“Yeah. In a one-bedroom with Jayden.”

“Will you be safe? Do you have someone you could stay with? Or should you come back here?”

“I can’t come back there. He already accused me of...of...” Fresh tears welled up. She stopped talking in order to gain control over her voice. “Never mind. I’d better go. I have to get Jayden. I merely wanted to...to warn you that I said the wrong thing.”

“You told him you won’t come back to him. Isn’t that what you’ve been telling him since you moved out?”

“Yes, but I was too absolute this time. Putting him off, that’s the only way to...to keep him calm.”

“Maybe it’s time he got the message.”

“No. It’s dangerous to challenge him. There’ll be hell to pay because of it. Anyway, will you call me if you...if you need help?”

“Call you?” he echoed.

She couldn’t hold back the sob that rose up before she could cover the phone. “I don’t think the police will come if you call them,” she said through her tears. “I don’t think they’ll come for either one of us.”

There was a long silence. Then he said, “You should get your son and come back here.”

“I can’t. Sly will view that as me running to you, and...and that’ll just make things worse for both of us,” she said and hung up.