Page 226 of Homewrecker

Then twenty-seven replies arguing about who owed Ravenna more. I kept scrolling. I don’t know what I was looking for. Maybe mercy. Maybe context. Maybe one person who knew me well enough to say I wasn’t completely evil.

Then I saw Gabby’s name. She had sat in my house, listened to me cry, told me I was fucking stupid, told me Caleb was never leaving, and stopped wanting to go places publicly with me, but still called. She still checked on me and she knew I was more than the worst decision I had ever made.

I clicked her comment.

Gabby: Some of us tried to tell her for years. You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. Praying for Ravenna. No woman deserves this.

My phone buzzed again.

Janelle: Blair, please call me. We have had four cancellations.

Janelle: Don’t worry about work right now. I’m handling it. Just please let me know you’re okay.

Blair: I’m okay.

I deleted it.

Blair I’m fine.

Deleted that too.

Blair: Thank you.

I sent it and three dots appeared immediately. I locked the phone before she could respond. I didn’t want comfort. I didn’t deserve comfort.

Caleb had come back three days ago after Ravenna made it clear she was done. After whatever fantasy he had about repairing his marriage finally died, he came to me.

He was crying, apologizing, and telling me losing everything had made him realize who had always loved him. He told me everything I’d waited three years to hear. We could finally be together. He could move in. We could travel. Get married. Build the future we’d always talked about.

He even had the fucking nerve to mention trying for another baby.

I almost took him back. That was the part I hadn’t told anyone. I had wanted to. For a few minutes, standing there looking at him, I wanted to forget everything Ravenna told me. Everything he’d done. Everything I’d lost.

I wanted to crawl back inside the lie because at least I knew how to live there, but then I realized that Caleb wasn’t standing at my door because he had finally chosen me. He was standing there because Ravenna had finally stopped choosing him. So I told him no. And watched the man I’d spent three years waiting for walk away.

I’d thought that would be the hardest part. Apparently the universe had said, Hold my fucking drink.

My front door unlocked. Only three people had a key. One was me. One was Caleb.

And—

“Blair?”

Klair. I closed my eyes. “Kitchen.”

She rounded the corner wearing an oversized graphic T-shirt, biker shorts and Crocs covered in colorful charms.

She looked at me. “I thought you’d be crying.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

“I didn’t say I wanted you to cry.”

She walked closer. “I just drove over here speeding, expecting to find you on the floor listening to Keyshia Cole.”

“I don’t listen to Keyshia Cole when I’m sad.”

My phone lit up on the counter. Her eyes went to it.