Page 47 of The One Before

She hangs up. For a moment, I hold the phone in my hands, hoping this is a mistake and Madison will call back. But she doesn’t. I scream, throwing the phone against the yellowed walls. My anger consumes me now. All my plans had fallen into place effortlessly until this point. Until Cooper ruined everything. Again.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Cooper did see me and now everything has been revealed. What if they’ve pieced the rest of my story together? That means Cooper has had four days to get into Madison’s head and fill her with his lies. There’s no way I can make amends and convince her to meet me, if that’s the case. I don’t know how to rebound from this disaster.

All I know is I’ve made it this far. I’m not leaving Whisper Falls until Madison knows the truth. I’m not leaving until Cooper gets what he deserves.

Thirty-Five

Madison

It’s been a week since I learned Anne Richards isn’t who she said she was. Coop is scheduled to attend a press awards dinner in Nashville tonight. It’s a bad time for him to leave town, but I don’t want to be the scared woman who begs him to stay. He needs to know I can handle myself, which is why I declined his offer to cancel his trip.

“It’s only one night,” he says, zipping his suitcase. It sounds like he’s reassuring himself more than he is me. He clenches his jaw and lowers his eyes in defeat. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. Roman and Regina are coming over for dinner.”

“Good.” This seems to relax him. He picks up the suitcase, and I follow him down the stairs. “I could always drive back tonight.”

“You wouldn’t get home until close to two a.m. There’s no sense in you spending the whole day in the car.”

“It would be worth it to know you’re safe.”

“That woman only called once. I don’t think she’ll try it again.”

“I could reach out to Jimmy at the police station. It only takes one phone call to get him involved,” Coop says, tightening his grip on the suitcase. “I want this woman to be punished for what she did to you.”

I look away. “What she did wrecked our wedding, but there’s no use in pursuing it. If she’s still this disturbed by something that happened thirteen years ago, she’s already being punished.”

Something that happened. The woman’s daughter died. I know grief doesn’t have an expiration date, and it must be excruciating to think you know who’s to blame. The facts remain: there’s nothing connecting Coop to Celia’s death, and if she knew the man I know, she’d see he’s not capable of violence. Her sorrow may be warranted, but it doesn’t give her permission to ruin Coop’s life.

“What time are Roman and Regina coming over?” he asks, as I follow him to his car.

“Around eight. Regina is bringing food from Nectar. It should be an easy night all around.”

“I hope so.” Coop bends to give me a kiss. His lips linger longer than they should, signaling the fear he feels in leaving. “I love you.”

I squeeze his neck, a cue that all will be fine. “I love you too.”

I didn’t think I’d have so much fun with Roman and Regina. Maybe it’s because I’m tipsy. In the two hours they’ve been here, we’ve drained the pitcher of cocktails Roman insisted he prepare. The Stromboli Regina brought struggles to soak up our buzz, and we’re all talkative and giggly. The unfortunate predicament with Celia’s mother has brought us closer somehow. Maybe they feel sorry for me, or guilty because being part of the Douglas family has left me damaged.

They’ve shared a handful of stories about Coop’s childhood, all embarrassing but harmless. After much pushing, I tell them about the early days of our relationship and what our lives were like in the city.

“We’re just happy Coop is taking the plunge and getting hitched,” Roman says. “It takes the pressure off us. I think Mom was afraid she’d never be a grandmother.”

“That’s not true,” Regina chimes in. “You’re just more likely to give her a grandchild before a daughter-in-law.”

“Hush,” Roman says, tossing back his drink.

“I mean, really,” she continues. “It’s a wonder you haven’t had a kid yet. You’ve only slept with everyone between here and the tri-cities area.”

I expect Roman to act bruised, instead he grins. It’s not a positive description, but clearly he’ll take it. “I don’t see you burning up the dating scene either,” he says to his sister. “You have plans of giving Mom grandchildren?”

“Only time will tell,” she says. They exchange a doubtful look, sip their drinks in unison and laugh.

This is what siblings do, I’ve learned. They poke and fight, but they forgive and love. Regina especially. Her persistent rib-jabbing might as well be a hug. It’s just her way of showing affection.

Another hour passes. We’ve skidded away from the topic of relationships and are back to discussing the pros and cons of this place we call home.

“There are a few things you need to know about Whisper Falls,” Regina says, her words beginning to slur. “The town is quiet, but the people are loud.”

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