Page 175 of Misrule
“She’s so—”
Lifting her head, Megan raised her hand. “Stop right there. She was sowhateverfor as long as you’ve known her. That’s who you fell in love with. You never gave her a break or a real chance.”
“Do you think I’m responsible for her current state?” From time to time that thought plagued him. Sometimes, it kept him awake at night.
“The short answer? Yes. The long answer is complicated. She lost her father at an early age. From what I understand, he was the only one to show her real, true love. Her mother mocked her and preferred suicide over staying alive for Kendall. Spoon kept her prisoner and abused her. Cut off her hair. Made her lose your first child. Charlotte is an evil witch, but she was the first woman to show Kendall any maternal care before Roxy.Youvalued me over her. Christopher despises her. Then there were those girls from her middle and high school days. Emily Riser or whatever, who looked just like me, so, of course I triggered her at every turn. And Logan…”
Megan’s voice faded into white noise. The creek became just a black hole, while his surroundings dimmed and his head pounded.
Emily.
Johnnie wondered how he’d “accidentally” ran into a woman who was almost Megan’s spitting image. Suddenly, he knew.
How dare Christopher!
How fuckingdarehe? It was one thing for Johnnie to divorce Kendall and find another woman. But it became a different beast when Christopher played such a heavy hand in it.
“Johnnie?”
Megan’s voice reached through his blazing anger.
“Are you okay?”
“What do you know about Emily?”
Megan shrugged. “Not much. Just that she was Kendall’s nemesis in high school and that has had a major effect on her entire life.”
“Suppose I told you I’d met her? That she was the Emily I’m thinking of taking out?”
Her brows lifted. “Wow, that’s quite a coinci…” Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened. She groaned. “I’m going to talk to him.”
“Why?” he snarled. “Do you know what my dating that bitch would do to Kendall? What kind of a low-down motherfucker is Christopher? That would drive Kendall over the edge! Is he fucking crazy?”
“Donotrage on my husband because you’re a jackass,” she spat. “What is wrong withhim? What is wrong withyou? He obviously knows you well enough to know that all you had to do was glance at someone who looks like me and nothing else would matter! Not Kendall. Not your marriage. Notanything, moron.”
“Fuck you, Megan.”
Megan jumped to her feet. Before she kicked him in the face, Johnnie stood, too.
“Go to hell,” she blazed. “You know what’s pathetic? Kendall would tell you to sleep with her to get me out of your system! How crazy is that? Yet, you two, impossible as it may seem, love each other. My husband isn’t crazy.Youare and you’ve driven Kendall mad.”
Furious, he kicked the bag containing their food and drinks. “I should shake the fuck out of you for telling me that bullshit.”
“It’s true,” she said, not backing down. “Back away from Christopher. He shot you once. He’ll kill you the next time. Do I want to see that happen? No. But Idowant you to stop blaming him, me, and even Kendall foryouractions. Yes, Kendall has a mental illness butyoumade her so much worse. You didn’t give her the respect she deserved as your wife. You taunted her with me. What did you think that would do? Make her into the woman you thought you wanted? A housewife? An old lady? A stay-at-home mom? Kendall. Is. Not. Any. Of. Those. Things,” she gritted, punctuating each word by pounding her fist into her hand. “Grow up, Johnnie. Just grow up. Don’t be angry with Christopher because you saw Emily and had some type of…of mega-erection or something.”
“Drop this goddamn subject, or else,” he warned, stomping back the laughter he felt at Megan’s description. Mega-erection? Where the fuck would she get that from?
“My God, I am so sick of you. Maybe, Christopher’s motives are a little suspect, but he seems to know you better than you know yourself.”
“How would you feel if I brought Emily to the club, seeing that she looks just like you?”
“Shouldn’t you be worried about how Kendall will feel if she found out that you brought her arch-enemy around?”
“They’re grown women. I’m sure they’ve left that in the past.”
“If you came here seeking my approval to go out with Emily, I don’t know what to tell you.”
All the fight left him and he sagged, exhausted from the emotional turmoil. “Kendall is driving me insane. She had no right to touch CJ. Or to fight you. Or any of the shit she’s done, Megan. I want to be happy.”
