Page 57 of The Summer Request
Michelle turned around, her face creased with worry. “Are you having problems finding a new job? I thought that – ”
“It’s fine!” Lisa was surprised by how loud her own voice had grown. She took a breath and started again. “Don’t worry about it. Everything is fine. I just need to go home.”
“It’s not fine, Lisa,” Val countered. They’d just pulled up to the house. She turned off the car and turned around. “Why do you waste your life taking care of him?”
Her jaw dropped. “I’m not wasting my life. I can’t just abandon the father of my children because – ”
Val cut her off. “Are you going to wait until he kills you? Like Lou did to Justine?”
For goodness’ sake.“Neil is not going to kill me,” she said. “He’s harmless. He’s helpless, really.”
“At least you’ve got that right,” Val said with a snicker.
“Val!” Michelle gathered her biking gear and stood to face her. “Stop taking your bad moods out on everyone.”
“Not that we could ever prove it if he did kill you,” Val continued, getting out of the driver’s seat. “We’re three of the most useless women on earth. We’re letting Justine’s husband get away with murder, my husband took my career and got away with it, and your husband is like a loser teenager who can’t be left alone.”
“My husband isn’t a loser!” Lisa had her arms at her sides, hands balled into fists. People were always attacking Neil. She was sick of it!
“He’s taking everything from you.”
Lisa let out a huff. “He hasn’t taken anything from me!”
Val smirked before turning away. “Except your car.”
“That’s enough, Val!” Michelle yelled, now at Val’s side.
Val shrugged and started walking toward the house. “The sooner you face it, the better off you’ll be.”
Lisa felt like her chest was on fire. Her breathing was off, and she couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
Michelle touched her arm. “Don’t listen to her. She’s just a bitter has-been, blaming everyone else for her problems and drowning her sorrows in booze.”
Val spun around. “What did you just say?”
Michelle stared at her. “I’m sorry your plan to confront Sam went poorly, but don’t take it out on us.”
“Don’t act all high and mighty,” Val said, wagging a finger. “Your husband was no saint either.”
“No,” Michelle said firmly. “He wasn’t a saint. He was something better. He was real, and if he were alive today – ”
“But he isn’t! And you can’t move past it!”
Lisa took a step back. She was too stunned to pull them off of each other. All she could do was watch.
“I can’t move past it?” Michelle took a step toward her. “I’ve been running a successful business for the last decade. What have youdone in the last decade, Val?”
“I am reviving my career!” Val yelled back.
“You don’t have a career! If you had any self-awareness you would’ve taken that university job and – ”
Val cut her off. “Oh, grow up. What do you know about universities? You couldn’t even finish a year of school, and you’re so terrified of leaving the island that you can’t step on a plane without having a full-blown panic attack.”
Michelle fell silent. Val stared at her, eyes full of fury.
Lisa’s phone rang.
She glanced down. It was Neil.
