My Husband Pretended to Love Me novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: Perfect for the Job

Neither of us spoke on the drive back to the diner.

The heater ran, the wipers beat, and my hand throbbed under the gauze.

I kept my face turned toward the window and my mouth tight, and I could still taste him.

Stanley pulled into the lot behind the kitchen and cut the engine.

Carl was standing under the light by the garage with his arms crossed and a duffel bag at his feet.

He was supposed to be in Milwaukee.

"Your car's on the shoulder of Sheridan with the hood up," Carl said as I got out. "I passed it. Your phone's been off for an hour."

"It died. I cut my hand."

He looked at the gauze, and then at the man getting out of the driver's side.

"You," he said.

"Carl," Stanley said.

"You've been sitting out front every night."

"Yes."

"Is that your idea of an apology? Sitting in the dark?" Carl came across the lot. "She works here. She's ours. You walk in and make a speech, and then you park on us like a repo man."

"Carl," I said. "Stop."

"No."

"Hit me if you want," Stanley said evenly. "She already did."

Carl stopped a foot short of him.

His fists were clenched, and he looked hard at Stanley's face, where I had slapped it.

"Good," Carl said at last. "Somebody should have."

He bent, picked up his bag, and walked into the garage.

The door rattled down behind him.

"I like him," Stanley said.

"Go home."

"Can I talk to you tomorrow?"

"You can stand in the lot," I said. "Like a repo man."

He almost smiled.

Then he looked at my hand again, and the smile went out.

I went upstairs, and I did not sleep.

In the morning, Dolly was waiting at the top of the stairs with a first-aid box and a blueberry muffin.

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