Page 81 of I see you Beauty

I gratefully follow her instructions, and we go into her bedroom. Sighing like a wet sack, I sink onto her bed. My shoulders immediately slump, feeling sorry for myself.

“You see, and that’s exactly why I told you to think about yourself. Because Ezra doesn’t make you feel like you’re not desirable, does he? He treats you the way you deserve and does you good,” Kelly rebukes, sinking on the edge of the bed next to me and taking my hand in hers.

I smile weakly and squeeze her hand before nodding gently.

“There you go. Ezra, the young and mega-hot guy, desires you. He wants you, and you’re enough for him. So screw your husband and just have some fun, and then, when it’s over, you can worry about your marriage. I told you this the other day. But throwing it all away now, when June is going her own way, might not be a good idea. Especially not if she wants to build something with you. Wait a little longer, and then, when the time is right, you can always leave him or confront him about the fact that your marriage has failed and see what he says about moving on… God, what I wouldn’t give for the look on his face when he finds out. Can I be there, please?” Kelly jokes, grinning devilishly at me before she starts laughing.

“You’re terrible,” I reply, sniffling, but I can’t help grinning.

Silence falls over us, and I try to organize my racing thoughts somehow. I still don’t want to come to terms with the fact that my marriage has failed. It feels like I’ve failed as a wife and mother. Like I haven’t given my all to make this family last. But deep down, I know I’ve done everything I could over the last few years to prevent this. But it takes two to make a marriage work, and when one stops trying, the other inevitably runs out of steam at some point.

“Are you okay?” Kelly asks me after a long moment. I’m grateful she gave me a few minutes to get my thoughts in order.

Sniffling, I nod and give her a small smile.

“Thank you,” I murmur.

“Always, sweetie.”

We sit on her bed longer, and I let her hold me. Lean on the shoulder I’ve leaned on for many years, seeking comfort whenever I’ve needed it. I love Kelly and am grateful to have her by my side. Even though I don’t share all of her views, I’m still grateful to call her my best friend.

After I calm down and freshen up so my little emotional outburst won’t show, we return to the others and have a lovely evening. Her new guy, Dave, seems like a really nice person, and maybe I was wrong; he might stay longer than his predecessors after all. I would like Kelly to finally be happy and get her happy ending.

“I’m going to Linda’s for a sleepover tonight,” June says goodbye as we get out of the car, having just returned from seeing Kelly.

“Doesn’t she have classes tomorrow?” Thomas asks suspiciously and follows her inside, as June will no doubt want to pack some things for the night.

“Yes, but not until midday; she stays with her parents overnight and leaves in the morning. She had a date today and wants to tell me about it,” she explains to her father and then looks to me for help.

“Have fun, dear,” I reply, smiling encouragingly at her.

She beams and hurries up the stairs, only to come back a little later armed with a small backpack. She gives me another kiss before she leaves the house, leaving me alone with my husband, and I can already see his displeasure without even having to look at him.

“It was a nice day,” he remarks.

I snort because I can’t believe he's just sweeping everything that happened the day before yesterday under the rug.

“Do you have something to say, Cora?” Thomas asks me, a dangerous tone lurking in his voice.

I quickly turn to him. That’s enough!

“Yes, lots of things! But first, I need to know whether you’ll beat me across the house if I dare to open my mouth,” I hiss angrily and give him a warning glare.

“Cora, don’t mock me!” he growls darkly and steps toward me.

Exhaling, I shake my head and turn away from him. There’s simply no point in arguing or discussing with him.

“That’s all right. I’m going to have a glass of wine,” I tell him coolly, leaving him standing there.

I hope he’s taken the hint and will let it go now. Because I just can’t take any more. This constant arguing. Nothing works in our marriage anymore. Not even sex.

Angry at the whole situation and him, I pull open the door of the wine fridge and take out the open bottle to go straight outside. I would love to burst into tears right now and just cry my heart out, but that won’t solve my problems, and I don’t begrudge him this victory.

Sighing, I step onto the patio and look into my dark garden. Only the small lights that line the path to the pool and pavilion at the back provide some light. I put the wine and glass down on the patio table and gaze up at the starry sky, lost in thought, perhaps to find a solution to my myriad problems, although I know it’s certainly not written in the stars.

“Good evening, Mrs. Shepherd,” I hear unexpectedly close behind me, and I can already feel his lips on my neck.

Gasping, I instinctively tilt my head so that Ezra has good access, and I can’t help the smile that just spreads across my face. As if by magic, as if he has spoken a little spell, my problems are blown away for a moment, even though he is one of the biggest on my list. And yet my head is empty right now, and I automatically feel better as soon as I feel him close to me, and he caresses me so delicately with his lips.

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