Mexican cuisine, visited tourist spots, and swam at the beaches. At the mention of swimming, my body tightened; tight enough for it to show on my face and him saying, “Sorry. I know how hard it must be for you.”
The older lady on the other bed, raised her head up, "I thought I recognized you." Her bushy eyebrows crinkling. "You're Milo Tanner. The guy who framed Kieran Stone for drugs."
I took a dry swallow, my face a mask of indifference as I replied to Bob, "It's okay. Not your fault." He was probably thinking that he outed me to the lady or some shit like that, which was not even true. Even if it was, it wasn't his fault. It was all my mistake. My fault. All my fucking fault.
“Hey,” I said as I pressed the on button on the Bluetooth function of my car.
Traffic was ridiculous. Even the side streets were clogged with slow-ass drivers. Shit. I wanted to get home before she left.
“It’s there in the account now,” Dia confirmed. “I just checked and a hundred fifty thousand was deposited.”
“Okay, good,” I replied, relief evident in my voice.
“It’s enough money to keep us operational for six months.”
“Okay.” That’s good. Six months was a long time. It would mean that the three part-time workers would not be fired and that the children relying on the foundation would not be denied.
“Fuck!” I yelled, my leg pushing hard on the brake.
“What?” Dia’s asked, concerned. “What’s going on?”
“Sorry, an idiot just slammed on his brakes in front of me,” I mumbled. My blood was heating up from the irresponsible drivers who didn’t signal when they switched lanes.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she cooed. “I remember how mad you get with traffic.”
“Dia, look, listen, and get it through your head.” I clenched my jaw and tapped my hand on the wheel. “I’m done with you. We’re done. We’re not getting back together. Ever.” Maybe after repeating it to her for the hundredth time, she’d get it through her head.
I heard her breathing hard over the phone. “Milo, I’m sorry. How many times do I have to say I’m sorry?”
“Dia. I told you, I’ve forgiven you.” In an exasperated breath, I continued, “I just can’t forget, okay? We’re done.” The second she slept with Kieran, we were done. The minute she lied to me about Kieran seducing her, even maybe forcing her to sleep with him, there’s no way I’d ever trust her as a girlfriend. As an accountant, she was great. She sent me a weekly report on how the foundation was doing. She thought staying as The Children’s Foundation account manager was going to make me take her back. It wasn’t.
She was quiet for a few seconds, and then she said, “I loved you, you know.”
“For a time,” I agreed as I accelerated in the fast lane. Traffic was now opening up. What should have taken twenty minutes was now taking twice as long.
“No, I really did, Milo.” Resignation clouded her voice. “I just…I know I did it. I don’t think he even knew who I was. But he’s a nice guy. He never did anything to hurt me.”
There’s rage and then there’s rage . It wasn’t hard for me to believe that Kieran would do what he did so I believed Dia. For many months, I harbored unpleasant thoughts about burning Stone on a fucking tree. But being in the civilized society that we’re in, I couldn’t. But I made sure that he suffered. Every time I saw him in the locker room or in the pool, I didn’t hide my hatred, my anger at him. Women had the power to make men believe anything . I gave Dia that hold, that power over me. She blinded me like a fucking mouse and if it wasn’t for the threat of the foundation going bankrupt and her losing her job, she’d never have told me the truth. I don’t trust her. I don’t think I’ll ever trust a woman again.
“Move on, Dia,” I advised, and the words coming out of my mouth were almost automatic, robotic. I’d told her how many times now. “I’m never
The older lady on the other bed, raised her head up, "I thought I recognized you." Her bushy eyebrows crinkling. "You're Milo Tanner. The guy who framed Kieran Stone for drugs."
I took a dry swallow, my face a mask of indifference as I replied to Bob, "It's okay. Not your fault." He was probably thinking that he outed me to the lady or some shit like that, which was not even true. Even if it was, it wasn't his fault. It was all my mistake. My fault. All my fucking fault.
“Hey,” I said as I pressed the on button on the Bluetooth function of my car.
Traffic was ridiculous. Even the side streets were clogged with slow-ass drivers. Shit. I wanted to get home before she left.
“It’s there in the account now,” Dia confirmed. “I just checked and a hundred fifty thousand was deposited.”
“Okay, good,” I replied, relief evident in my voice.
“It’s enough money to keep us operational for six months.”
“Okay.” That’s good. Six months was a long time. It would mean that the three part-time workers would not be fired and that the children relying on the foundation would not be denied.
“Fuck!” I yelled, my leg pushing hard on the brake.
“What?” Dia’s asked, concerned. “What’s going on?”
“Sorry, an idiot just slammed on his brakes in front of me,” I mumbled. My blood was heating up from the irresponsible drivers who didn’t signal when they switched lanes.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she cooed. “I remember how mad you get with traffic.”
“Dia, look, listen, and get it through your head.” I clenched my jaw and tapped my hand on the wheel. “I’m done with you. We’re done. We’re not getting back together. Ever.” Maybe after repeating it to her for the hundredth time, she’d get it through her head.
I heard her breathing hard over the phone. “Milo, I’m sorry. How many times do I have to say I’m sorry?”
“Dia. I told you, I’ve forgiven you.” In an exasperated breath, I continued, “I just can’t forget, okay? We’re done.” The second she slept with Kieran, we were done. The minute she lied to me about Kieran seducing her, even maybe forcing her to sleep with him, there’s no way I’d ever trust her as a girlfriend. As an accountant, she was great. She sent me a weekly report on how the foundation was doing. She thought staying as The Children’s Foundation account manager was going to make me take her back. It wasn’t.
She was quiet for a few seconds, and then she said, “I loved you, you know.”
“For a time,” I agreed as I accelerated in the fast lane. Traffic was now opening up. What should have taken twenty minutes was now taking twice as long.
“No, I really did, Milo.” Resignation clouded her voice. “I just…I know I did it. I don’t think he even knew who I was. But he’s a nice guy. He never did anything to hurt me.”
There’s rage and then there’s rage . It wasn’t hard for me to believe that Kieran would do what he did so I believed Dia. For many months, I harbored unpleasant thoughts about burning Stone on a fucking tree. But being in the civilized society that we’re in, I couldn’t. But I made sure that he suffered. Every time I saw him in the locker room or in the pool, I didn’t hide my hatred, my anger at him. Women had the power to make men believe anything . I gave Dia that hold, that power over me. She blinded me like a fucking mouse and if it wasn’t for the threat of the foundation going bankrupt and her losing her job, she’d never have told me the truth. I don’t trust her. I don’t think I’ll ever trust a woman again.
“Move on, Dia,” I advised, and the words coming out of my mouth were almost automatic, robotic. I’d told her how many times now. “I’m never
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