Page 48 of Claiming His Wife
“Look at the dates.” he prompted.
“That’s the date I arrived in Montréal,” she replied, something seeming to elude her, a niggling thought.
“Recognize any landmarks?” he prompted again. “I don’t know what his deal is, but he has been lying to you.”
She took another look at the pictures and she headed for the door.
“Lilah, wait, don’t go like this. Let me take you home.”
“Owen is waiting downstairs,” she returned evenly, and exited his apartment with the Polaroids clutched in hand.
***
Of course, she had heard about the classic ‘walk of shame’ but she never thought she’d ever have to do that walk. Trust fate to give her a completely new twist on the whole thing. Try ‘walk of shame, anger, and doubt, with a pinch of self-loathing.’ These were all the emotions going through her now.
Kalilah punched the elevator button with more force than necessary and ignored the other occupants. She did not want to face the sharply-dressed morning crowd and the knowing looks that scanned her and found her wanting. She had enough in her head without the judgment they were itching to deliver.
When her floor number lit up, she slid through the aromatic crush of bodies and out of the car. The hallways were quiet enough that her own footsteps echoed hollowly, but even the setting had no impact on her.
The doorknob turned effortlessly in her hand as she pushed it. The apartment was quiet. Kalilah idly wondered if anyone was home, even as the small twinge of guilt wiggled within her when she remembered how she had spent the night out without telling anyone else where she was.
However, she didn’t regret spending the night with Finn. He’d brought her so much pleasure.
“Enjoyed your night?” Jonathan’s sarcastic words jolted her out of her thoughts. She had hoped for some time to... what? Shower? Think? Frame her accusations properly?
“I did actually,” she agreed.
“I can see that,” the words were perfectly neutral again and she dared to look at him this time.
He looked angry as he looked her over.
“Did you spend the night with him?” Kalilah winced at accusation in his voice. She took a seat away from him. She didn’t need to ask him who he was talking about. She knew and she had no intentions of lying to him.
She admitted to him about spending the night at Finn’s and she could see the hurt in his eyes.
She apologized profusely for hurting him. However, she didn’t apologize for doing what she had done with Finn. It would have been a lie.
“How could you do this to us? I thought we loved each other?”
She refused to be the only one who was placed on ‘trial’. She fished the Polaroids out of her handbag, placed them on the table between them without a single comment, and waited for his reaction.
He picked up the first one in a lazy move and sat bolt upright the next second. Within minutes he had riffled through the small stack and arranged them back meticulously face down on the space between the two of them without commenting.
“Is there anything you need to tell me?” How she got the words out of her heavy throat would always be a mystery to her. “I want to know why you’ve been in Montréal for the past two months, and why you showed up to my home only three days ago. Come to think about it, I never gave you my address, how did you know where to find me?”
He turned around and waved her claims away.
“That’s preposterous! How on Earth are you even buying into this nonsense? I mean, isn’t this the work of your jealous, bitter, soon to be ex-husband trying every means possible to tear us apart?”
“This has nothing to do with my husband. I am more concerned that you lied to me. Why are you still lying to me, and why are you still avoiding my questions?”
“So now he’s your husband?”
Jonathan stood up and walked away from the table, away from the incriminating pictures and accusations. He glanced at every part of the room except where she was seated.
“I knew about you for a very long time before we met personally.”
She was stunned by his admission and listened as he continued his story.
