Page 60 of The Wedding Driver
Shit.
“Excuse me. I should go find my husband.” Denise stood and scurried out of the room.
“What the hell was that?” Foster folded his arms and glared. “I don’t appreciate you psychoanalyzing me with my mother-in-law.”
She loved how he used the term mother-in-law to reference Denise. He hadn’t used that word in years. Of course, Tonya knew Foster cared for Victor and Denise. He always spoke fondly of them, even when he disagreed with their decisions.
“Are you going to tell me it’s not true?” Tonya had been biting her tongue when it came to Foster and his daughter. She’d done so out of respect and it had been none of her business.
Now that they were a couple, she believed things were different. She should be able to talk about her feelings and opinions. Hell, he’d invited her to one of his therapy sessions.
“You shouldn’t be discussing it with Denise.”
“Are you mad about that? Or because I hit a nerve?” Her heart raced. She stood, inching closer.
He narrowed his stare. “You have no idea what it’s like to suffer a loss like that. How dare you think it’s okay to even question where my head is at or what I think this might mean.”
“Don’t go there, Foster.” She kept her distance to a safe two feet away. She knew better than to get in his space right now. “I might not live your experience. I accept I haven’t a clue. But don’t you dare pull this bullshit with me again.” Fuck it. She closed the gap and poked his chest. “You are not going to pull me in and thank me for God knows what and then push me away because I express what I’m thinking and feeling. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that to Denise, but you don’t make it easy to have deep, meaningful conversations about the things that matter in your life. I love you, Foster, and I can’t stand by and watch you torture yourself anymore. Not when my heart is paying the price. I put myself out there. I put it all on the line. It’s your turn to get real.”
His mouth slacked open and he said something, but she wasn’t sure what it was because her adrenaline burned hot and her lips kept moving. Years of pent-up emotions spilled out.
“I don’t expect you to do it all at once. I know my timing sucks with what’s going on, but you can have your past. You can have loss and grief and all the things that go with it. You’ve spent time with my grandfather. He lost a child. He feels that pain every day. But he also cherishes life. He loves deeply. And most importantly, he found a way to have a present and a future.” She took his hand and placed it in the center of her chest. “I could be that for you if you’d open your damn eyes and heart.” She let out a long breath. “I’ll call one of my sisters to come get me. Let us know if you need anything.” She raised up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Figure it out, Foster. I’m only going to be around for so long.”
With tears burning her eyes, she strolled down the long, bright corridor toward the elevator.
Foster didn’t chase after her.
That spoke volumes.
She pulled out her cell and texted both her sisters. It was a big ask, but one of them would take pity on her and make the drive to Ticonderoga.
Tiki was the first to respond. With a phone call.
“Hello,” Tonya answered, leaning against the wall. “You could have texted me back.”
“What’s going on? I thought you planned on staying with Foster until either she passed or he took her home.”
“It’s a long story and one I don’t feel like getting into at this moment,” Tonya said.
“I can be there in forty minutes, but you’re really going to leave him?”
“Let me put it to you this way. He didn’t chase me out of the building.”
“I don’t know what that means,” Tiki said.
“I’ll explain it when you get here.”
“All right. See you soon.” Tiki ended the call.
As Tonya wandered the halls of the hospital, she came upon a pharmacy.
Plan B pill.
She sighed as she stepped inside the store. She snagged a soda, some chips, and strolled to where she thought she might find the dreaded little pill. She scanned the shelves.
Condoms.
Sponges.
