Page 47 of Undeniably Perfect

“I’m better. It’s not that.”

I wait for her to continue but I see her eyes get glassy with unshed tears, and I immediately jump into Superman-mode as the siblings would say. I pick her up and set her on my island, stepping between her legs and holding her face in my hands. Her eyes meet mine as her chin wobbles.

“What’s wrong, kitten?”

She takes a deep breath. “Arson,” she manages before big fat tears start running down her cheeks. “It’s arson. I can’t get the insurance money. I don’t know when I can get into another place. What am I going to do?”

“Whoa. Hold up. Arson?”

She nods. “The insurance guy just called.”

She turns her phone around, and I read the email. Shit.

“Tabby, this is bad. Who would do this?”

She shrugs, but I can see in her eyes that she has a person in mind.

“Tabby,” I repeat.

She closes her eyes and swallows. “The only person that I can think of is Eric,” she whispers, opening her eyes again.

“Eric?”

She nods and lets out a shaky breath. “My ex.”

“What ex?”

“We broke up a few months ago. Well, I finally wised up after he got…aggressive. Anyhow, he kept calling and showing up. I blocked his number. I tried to stay away from him. I hadn’t seen him in a few weeks, so I figured he was finally giving up…but…I don’t know. I…there’s no one else that would do this. And…I’ve gotten some messages.”

“What?” I practically growl.

She sighs and pulls up her emails on her phone. Her business emails. She clicks on one, and I read it.

Tabby – Please unblock me. You know we belong together. What do I have to do to prove this to you?

I read another one.

Tabitha – This is really beneath you. Stop playing these silly games. You are going to regret telling our friends your lies.

They get progressively worse and more aggressive. But it’s the last one that has my blood boiling.

Fine, be a cunt. You think you’re so much better than me? Have it your way.

“Tabby, did you show these to the police?”

She shakes her head. “What’s the point? He won’t admit anything. What am I going to say? My ex is a jerk?”

“No, but you could get a restraining order.”

She shakes her head. “I spoke with someone, and it’s not enough.”

“Someone?”

“A friend who got one against her ex.”

“Will you talk with Lanie?”

She bites her lip, and I pull it loose with my thumb. “OK.”

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