Page 236 of Misrule
Once Doc Will kissed Cam, she left, promising she’d inform him immediately of any changes.
Opening her eyes, two things hit Kendall at once: she was alive and she was in a hospital room hooked up to an IV and monitors.
“Kendall?” Johnnie breathed.
At one time hearing his voice would’ve meant everything. Now, she just felt empty. Disappointed she hadn’t died. The text messages he’d sent to Emily had ripped Kendall’s heart out. She’d never, ever recover.
“Go away,” she said, her tears starting because she felt so broken.
Johnnie had sworn he wouldn’t break their vows and sleep with another woman. Not only had he lied, but he’d fucked the one woman who most hated Kendall and then he’d buoyed her confidence and told Emily she was better in bed than Kendall.
He’d sent Emily so many amazing texts, proclaiming her an exceptional mother-figure and cook. And friend. All the things Kendall never got right.
“Kendall, why would you try to take your life? Do you know what your death would’ve done to me?”
She wanted to hit him with a comeback, but she was just so tired. “I can’t bear…you’ve been with Emily,” she said, unable to stop her heartbroken sob. “If you hadn’t known who she was, I wouldn’t care. But you did. You made love to her, knowing her true identity.”
Confusion slid into Johnnie’s face. “I never touched Emily, other than one kiss,” he admitted.
“I saw the texts. Hundreds of them. It just…I can’t do this anymore, Johnnie.”
“If a divorce will make you happy—”
“Not divorce!Death!”
“Kendall, what texts do you mean?”
“All the ones you sent.” She repeated the several that stood out most in her memory. “I read them. She showed them to me.”
Johnnie studied her, then dug into his cut and pulled out his phone. “When did you see her?”
“The afternoon I overdosed.”
“A day and a half ago, then,” he commented, holding out the phone to her.
She shrugged, listless, ignoring his phone.
“Take it and read the messages between Emily and myself,” he ordered.
Not in the mood to argue, Kendall took the phone. The screen was locked, but she tested his old code, surprised to find it still worked. Finding the conversation with Emily was easy, since Johnnie didn’t send texts very often.
The texts Kendall read from Johnnie’s phone between him and Emily were vastly different than the texts Kendall had read on Emily’s phone. She’d been relentless in her pursuit of Johnnie, even apologizing to him for tormenting Kendall and swearing she’d grown out of such petty behavior. She’d begged to meet Rory, JJ, and Matilda. Wanted them to take their relationship farther, describing in graphic detail what she intended to do to him.
“Her messages are completely different, Johnnie.”
“Did she tell you I went to her place to kill her on your behalf?”
Eyes widening, Kendall’s gaze flew to his.
“When I discovered her real identity.”
Kendall set the phone on the bed. “You still went with her after you found out who she was.”
“I did, and there’s no excuse for that, sweetheart.”
“There isn’t,” Kendall agreed, though his explanation soothed her hurt and turmoil.
“I kissed her once, just to see if I could ever be with her if you and I ever divorced. There was nothing there, Kendall. My heart belongs to you.”
