“We’ll wrap back around to it later. Let me get this weekend over.”
“Good luck, man. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thanks.” I hang up and toss the phone across the sofa, sinking back.
I replay the conversation from this morning, lying in bed with her before she had to leave for the day. I knew something was off the second I started the conversation, but it didn’t register. Now, it’s nagging at me.
“I don’t want to get out of bed.” She snuggled in closer, trailing her fingers over my tattoos.
“Then don’t.” I kiss the top of her head.
“Maren will be upset if we miss this spa day. Rachel has organized quite the princess treatment, including lunch from the French bakery on the corner.”
“Well, you can’t miss the princess treatment.”
“We haven’t done this in a year.”
“What?”
“A true spa day.”
“I thought you did it all the time. Even a few weeks ago in Myrtle Beach.”
“We did small things like manis and pedis, but today is all out. We’re having facials, scrubs, waxing, manicures, pedicures, and maybe even a massage.”
“Why so long?”
She stiffens, her finger stopping mid-scroll. “Carlton was an ass. We could get away for a few hours, but every single time we made plans for a whole day, he had something come up. Maren was torn between making one of us upset, so I always settled for whatever she had time for. Finally, I stopped trying. When she brought it up the other night, I jumped on the idea.”
Without knowing it, she opened the door for me. “She seems to be doing much better with their break-up.”
“She’s completely fine now.” The answer comes out swift and terse.
“The trip to Myrtle Beach made her see perspective?”
She pauses, her body going tense against mine. “Yes, that was it. The trip to Myrtle Beach. It cured everything.” Her voice is low, almost regretful.
“Marcus heard Nina mention something about her uncovering Carlton’s cheating anonymously, but you mentioned the evidence fell into her lap.”
Her body jerks, her hand flattening on my chest. “It wasn’t a coincidence. She hired a group when she became suspicious. It wasn’t like she could go to anyone around here. She was scared word would get out that she was looking into him. She hired an anonymous group she found online. They brought her almost everything she needed. She knew she needed help when she found the syphilis medicine hidden in his car.”
Syphilis? The motherfucker had syphilis?
“Why are we talking about Maren and Carlton?” She looks up at me, her honey brown eyes sharp and alert.
“We’re not, at least not anymore.”
I felt like shit. Fucking Marcus.
Now, after watching that video, I have more questions than answers. The rumbling in my gut tells me it’s too big a coincidence. But my head tells me to leave it alone.
I scrub my hands over my face and close down the computer. One hour until the SLED assigned limo picks me up. I dial Emi’s number, figuring it will be the last time I talk with her today.
“Hey, sweetie,” she answers against the sound of women chatting in the background.
“How’s it going?”
“Awesome, I’m officially spoiled. Rachel has outdone herself.”