Page 34 of The One Before

“Roger, escort this woman out,” Josephine said. It was clear she was trying to remain dignified. I’d gone about this the wrong way. She’d labeled me deranged, not worthy of conversation. She thought I’d come here to terrorize her child. All I’d wanted to do was uncover the truth about mine.

“Please, Mrs. Douglas. If you’d just speak with him. Or let me. You can’t imagine how painful it is not knowing what happened to your child.”

“No, I can’t.” She stared at me with those deep, cold eyes. “It’s a mother’s responsibility to know everything about her children. I’m sorry you failed at that, but I’m not going to let you harass my son. The way you’ve treated him is repulsive.”

I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. She thought Cooper was a victim in all this. She’d refused the opportunity for me to show her otherwise. Roger, a little kinder this time, touched my shoulder, urging me to leave. As I made my way to the front door, I saw three heads poking over the banister of the staircase. A young man, a teenage girl andhim. They all looked scared, even Cooper, but seeing his face forced me into action.

“Cooper!” I screamed. “Cooper, tell me what you did to her!”

Every ounce of self-restraint escaped when I saw his frightened face. My anger and grief and despair flooded my body. I made a run for the stairs, but Roger was holding me back. He had a good grip, despite his age.

Cooper, looking even more afraid, walked away—the second time he’d turned his back on me in a time of need. The other boy followed him. The girl stood there, watching my outburst with tears in her eyes.

“Get back here!” I was screaming, mustering all my strength to wriggle from Roger’s grasp. Why did Cooper get to walk away? Why could he—and his entire family—write me off? Refuse me answers? Josephine stood by the staircase, undressing each layer of my emotion with those cold eyes. Her posture never slackened, and she only moved to reposition the scarf around her neck.

“Please, ma’am,” Roger whispered in my ear. “I don’t want to call the police.”

The police. The same people who had done nothing for my precious girl would gladly come to this fancy house and arrest me. They’d love the opportunity, especially in a town like this where alliances are firmly forged. I wiped tears and snot with the back of my hand before marching out the door.

That was the first time my rage overshadowed my grief. I felt an almost animalistic need to lash out at Cooper Douglas. Hurt him. Inflict the pain I was feeling onto him. Until then, I’d been waiting for an explanation, reserving my forgiveness. Now I’m waiting for a moment to strike back. At long last, my moment has arrived.

Twenty-Five

Madison

I welcome Anne into the house. She carries a large box of flowers.

“Let me help you,” I say.

“No need. The box is lighter than it looks.” She puts it down and flattens her slacks with her hands, staring at me for a moment before she speaks. “I’ve brought some candles, too. I thought we could make a few centerpieces. See what works. I’ll pass along whatever we decide to the florist.”

“Thank you.” I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it appears Anne is going above and beyond. “This is great.”

She studies my appearance. “You’ve changed your hair.”

My hand grazes through my strands, a useless attempt to wipe away the damage. “Yeah. I’m still getting used to the color. And the cut.”

“I think it suits you,” she says, but I sense she’s only trying to be kind. “Shall we get started?”

I sit while she stands, twirling twine and ivy around candles of various sizes. She shows me some pictures on her phone, all of which are lovely.

“I can tell you’ve spent a lot of time working on these.”

“It’s what I’m hired to do. Make the bride happy.”

“I’ve never been part of an event this elaborate before. It’s nice, feeling like I’m helping coordinate all of this. Not just pointing at pictures and writing a check.”

“Who else is helping you with the planning?”

“Well, Josephine has been incredibly generous. She obviously arranged to get you involved.”

“Of course.”

“And I’ve decided to let Regina’s restaurant cater the reception. Nectar has the best food around by far.”

“That’s a big box to check off our list. It must be nice having a chef in the family.” She smiles, placing the arrangement on the table. “What about your family? Are they involved?”

My mouth opens, but my voice catches. “I’m not really in contact with my family.”

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