Our Wicked Lies by Gledé Kabongo (books for new readers TXT) 📕

was so embarrassed and had apologized profusely once she got into the car and shut the door.

He’d said, “Baby, it’s okay. I understand. Stop worrying.” And to show her that he meant it, he’d kissed her deep and long.

“You’re right,” Alicia agreed, stepping back into the present and facing a very different Eliot. “Everything will be fine.”

Eliot stroked her arm again. Her skin crawled as his fingers caressed her skin. She wanted to bolt out of the kitchen and hide. Did he touch Faith that way? Did he also call her baby, make her feel like the most cherished woman on earth?

Jealousy tore through Alicia. Until now, she had not allowed herself to think about what his relationship with the other woman was like. Faith had said, in their email exchange, that he had missed her the entire time he and Alicia were in Paris, and that they had kept in touch the whole time.

She didn’t know if Faith was a cunning liar, desperate to get Alicia out of the picture, or whether Eliot had made promises, assuring Faith that they had a future together. Perhaps that was why the emails were so nasty and condescending, because she knew something that Alicia didn’t.

He leaned over and kissed her on the neck. The move surprised her, and she wanted to withdraw, make an excuse, run. It was too painful to have him touch her, when all she could think about was his betrayal. Yet, her breath quickened. Heat flooded her body. Despite everything he’d done, her whole being ached with the desire to touch him. Don’t give in.

She splayed her hands over his chest and gently pushed him away.

His body went slack. His arms fell to his sides, limp and lifeless. The desperation in his voice was thick when he asked, “What’s wrong, Alicia?”

“Not now. There’s something else, something I didn’t mention before.”

“What is it?”

She hated herself for what she was about to do, but she realized just how weak Eliot’s betrayal had made her. His intentions were clear, but she couldn’t allow her body to dictate her actions. She needed to redirect his focus. Bring him back down to earth.

“It’s about Marston. I promised her I wouldn’t say anything to you, but she’s your daughter. You deserve to know what’s going on.”

“What about Marston? Is she okay? You’re scaring me, Alicia.” Eliot’s face was the epitome of a concerned dad.

“She’s fine, physically. Emotionally, that’s another story.”

Alicia provided the highlights of her conversation with Marston, offering reassurances throughout that their daughter would be okay, especially since she was no longer bottling up her anxiety.

“So, you’re telling me that this worthless piece of dung violated our daughter and then discarded her like trash?”

“Eliot, it was consensual; he didn’t force her. She took responsibility for her part in it.”

“I don’t care,” he spat, then stood up. He paced the floor, his expression turbulent. When he slammed his fist on the kitchen island, she jerked back in her seat.

Eliot wasn’t prone to angry outbursts. He believed people who couldn’t control their anger or used it to manipulate others were weak. However, everyone has a limit. When it came to his family, his children—that was where he drew the line.

“I’m going to find that little bastard and make him crap his pants.”

“Eliot, calm down. Think about Marston,” she pleaded.

“That’s exactly who I’m thinking about.” He returned to his seat at the table, dropped his face in his hands, and let out a muffled, frustrated sigh.

She reached out to her husband but caught herself and returned her hands to her lap. Crippling guilt threatened to swallow her whole. She had successfully diverted his attention, but at Marston’s expense. Alicia shifted about in her seat, unable to remain still. She raked her hair back repeatedly. How would she explain to Marston why her mother betrayed her confidence if the subject came up again? Would Marston forgive her?

Alicia pondered what it would mean to end her marriage. Cheating was one thing. When she’d first discovered the infidelity, she had decided that they would work it out. She had been willing to endure the pain, anger, and the rollercoaster of emotions. She had been willing to fight for her family.

But what was there to fight for when her husband continued to lie? How could she stay married to a man who refused to own up to his betrayal? What reassurances did she have that even if she forgave him, he wouldn’t do it again? The fact remained that this disloyal man was no longer the man she married.

“Our daughter will be fine. She’s strong and resilient. I wish I had her levelheadedness at that age,” she said to him.

“But what about you?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You keep saying you’re fine, but you’re not. Something’s not right with you, Alicia. And I don’t think it has anything to do with your mother or Marston or the stress of returning to school.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you? First you accuse me of cheating on you. Then you turn cold and distant. I want you to connect the dots for me. The truth. What’s going on?”

Connect the dots? The truth?

Those words did not just come out of his mouth. He wouldn’t know truth if it hit him across the face with a crowbar. The man was a high-flying lawyer, for goodness sake. He was supposed to be the smart one. And yet, she recognized this tactic, meant to make her look like the one who was holding back, the one with something to hide. Oh, the irony! Charm, manipulation, and getting others to spill the truth were part of his training as a lawyer and his natural disposition, as well. She needed to tread carefully.

He’d ambushed her earlier with his display of affection, and she almost fell for it. It would be easy to explode, give in, show her cards, and lose the game. But as long as she kept him in the dark about what she had discovered,