“Are you sure you don’t need help with the painting this week?”
“Yeah, I can handle it.” I just waved her off without turning because I didn’t think my body was capable of doing anything that complex at the moment. “I’ll call you if anything changes.”
“Got it. You be sure to go home before you drop dead.” With her lovely parting words, she unlocked the door and opened it. Before I heard it click shut, she called my name and I glanced at her over my shoulder, which took some serious effort on my part.
“Only two weeks or so now,” Sally said, grinning. “I’m so excited,” she squeaked, bouncing up and down.
I gave her a tired but genuinely happy smile and managed to pump my hand halfway into the air. We only had five years of age difference between us, but I was feeling every single one of the years I had on her. “Yes, definitely yay! You probably can’t tell from my face right now because I can’t move it much, but I’m excited too. Can’t wait. Woohoo.”
Her body disappeared behind the door, and all I could see was her head. “It’s gonna be great!”
“I’m crossing my fingers in my mind because I don’t think I can do it in real life.”
After she gave me an even bigger grin, her head disappeared too and the door slid shut. Since we’d boarded the windows up, I couldn’t see outside, but I knew it was already dark. Reaching for my phone in my back pocket proved to be harder than I’d expected, but I was able to check the time. I was pretty much moving in slow motion, but who needed speed on a Monday night?
Eight o’clock.
I knew I shouldn’t take a break, but my legs, feet, back, neck, arms, and everything in between were killing me. Left with no other choice, I slid down behind the counter, right where the cash register would be in just a few days, groaning and whimpering the entire time it took my ass to reach the ground. Then I dropped my head back with a loud thud and closed my eyes with a heavy sigh. Now, if I could only manage to get up, finish the last coat on the wall, and make sure I couldn’t see any damn red anymore, I could lock up then move my feet enough times to get to the subway so I could get home and step straight into the shower. If I didn’t drown myself in the shower, getting into my bed would be nice, too—and food. At some point, I’d need food.
Then it hit me again. If you ignored that I was dying a slow death from all kinds of aches, Sally was right—I was getting really close to the opening day. Ever since I had taken a job at a local coffee shop when I was eighteen, I knew I wanted to open my own place. Something that belonged just to me. Not only that, but it would also be where I belonged. And that would be a first as well. As cheesy as it sounded, there was something about the idea of my own place that had always lifted my heart when I daydreamed about it.
Just as I felt myself drifting off, the front door opening and closing with a soft click jolted me awake. I had completely forgotten that I hadn’t locked it after Sally left. Thinking she had left something behind, I tried to get up. When my legs didn’t want to cooperate, I had to get on my hands and knees with much effort and then held on to the counter to pull myself up.
“What did you forget?” I asked, and it came out half as a groan and half as a whimper.
Finding my cousin, Bryan, just on the other side of the counter was not the best surprise I could’ve wished for. At his unexpected appearance, I tried to come up with something to say, but I was completely tongue-tied. He tapped the counter with his knuckles and took a good look around. So far, I had ignored every single one of his calls and had even turned off my phone when his threatening texts had started to get a little out of hand.
“Bryan.”
His eyes only moved to me when he was done with his perusal and you could easily see that he wasn’t happy.
“I see you already got comfortable,” he said, the anger obvious in his voice.
“Bryan, I don’t think—”
“Yes,” he interrupted, taking a step forward. “Yes, you don’t think. You didn’t think. I’m not going to let this go, Rose. Surely, that’s obvious. You don’t deserve this place. You’re not family, not really, you know that. You’ve always known that. And having that lawyer behind you will change nothing.” His gaze fell to my hands. “I see you’re not even wearing a wedding ring. Who do you think you’re fooling?”
I gritted my teeth and balled my fists behind the counter. If I could just hit him once. Just once. Oh, the pleasure it would give me.
“I’m working. I’m not gonna wear something so precious to me while I’m painting. This is pointless, I think you should leave, Bryan.”
“I will when I’m ready.”
“I don’t want to argue with you. You don’t see me as family so that makes us strangers. I don’t have to explain myself to a stranger.”
He shrugged. “Who is arguing? I only wanted to drop by to let you know that you shouldn’t get comfortable here. We’ll be seeing each other more. Your lawyer might have managed to stop me from taking this place from you, for now, but I don’t give up that easily. Since I already know that your marriage is nothing but a lie, all I have to do is wait and prove it.”
“I know you think—”
“Good luck with that,” someone said and with a jolt, I turned my head and locked eyes with Jack. The one that was my husband.
Oh, jeez.
It was not my night, that was for sure. If Jodi had walked in with bouquets of roses in her hands to congratulate me on the coffee shop, I didn’t think I’d have been as surprised as I was. I had successfully continued to ignore the memory of the day I’d gotten married to this specific stranger, and since he hadn’t been in the city for eight or nine days, it’d worked well—up until now. To be fair, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. We were, in fact, married so I knew I’d eventually have to see him again, but his timing was the absolute worst. If I’d had the option to choose, I’d have much preferred a phone call where I could make my case much more easily before we had to face each other.
Before I could say anything, he focused on Bryan. “Since I don’t think you’re here to congratulate us, I’m asking you to leave my wife alone.”
Bryan had to take a step away from the counter when Jack almost got in his face.
“So you do know you have a wife then. From what I heard you weren’t even in the country.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Coleson, my apologies. I didn’t know by marrying your cousin I’d have to share my schedule with you as well. I’ll remedy that as soon as possible.”
I really wanted to snort, but managed to hold it in.
Jack continued. “Since you’re already here I like to take this opportunity to repeat what I told you before. I noticed that every time you’re around my wife you’re making her uncomfortable and unhappy. I really don’t think I like it, Bryan. I’m not sure how many times you need me to repeat myself. But I’ll say it again: I don’t want to see you around her.”
Since I couldn’t see Jack’s expression with his back to me, I watched the muscle in Bryan’s jaw twitch and then he forced a smile onto his face.
“I was just on my way out anyway. I said what I came here to say, right, Rose?”