“I believe you,” she said flatly.
I blinked at her.
“Ali, men are two things. Disappointing and consistent. I believe you.”
I don’t know what it was. Saying it out loud to someone I’d hidden it from for so long. The tiny victory of claiming one of our mutual friends to my side, or just having someone else know it and believe it—but my chin started to quiver.
“I should have known, right?” I whispered. “I know what abuse looks like. But I just thought it was different, you know? Someone hitting you, calling you names, yelling. I didn’t know it was like this.” I wiped under my eyes with the side of my hand. “Honestly, he did me a favor with that woman. I should send her an Edible Arrangement.”
“You should. Use his credit card.”
I laughed weakly.
She gave me a moment to compose myself. Then we turned and kept walking along the tree-lined trail.
“So you’re seeing someone,” she said, circling back to the beginning.
“Yeah.” I sniffed. “It’s not serious.”
“Just do me a favor with your new boy toy. Be safe. Bring your own condoms, watch him put it on, and make sure it’s still on when you’re done.”
I glanced at her. “Why would it not be on?”
“Because they take it off.”
I pulled my face back. “Like, on purpose?”
She scoffed. “Ali, never underestimate what a man will do for five percent better sensation. My days are filled with unplanned pregnancies and STDs—from husbands. Men are shit. It’s why I stay with Marcus. He’s too busy to screw anyone else, let alone me,” she mumbled.
I wrinkled my forehead at the trail. “That’s…sad.”
“The devil you know,” she said dryly. “Oh, which reminds me. You’re not going to like this.”
I glanced over at her. “What?”
“Marcus’s birthday next weekend?”
“Yeah?”
“He invited Neil.”
I stopped walking. “Why?”
“He said it’s his birthday and Neil is his friend, and he wants him there. Believe me, I tried to talk him out of it.”
I scoffed. “Well, guess I’m not going.”
“No, you shouldn’t. I don’t wanna go either. Screw ’em, they can make it a boys’ trip.”
I looked at her gratefully.
“We should just find a day spa or something and go do that. A bed-and-breakfast. Gabby will go where we do. She always does.”
I smiled. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“Don’t thank me. God, what a dick.”
She squinted at the houses ahead of her and stopped walking. “Why are the police in your driveway?”
I froze. We were a few houses down from mine. She was right, there was a cop car in front of my garage.
They were there with Neil.
“What’s going on?” Jessica asked as we approached the two men.
Neil turned and gave me the practiced look of contrition he gave the families of his patients when they didn’t make it out of his operating room. “Ali, let’s go have a private conversation.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked, crossing my arms. “If you wanted your stuff, you should have just texted me.”
“I’m moving back in.”
The words hit me like a freight train.
“What?”
“I have a legal right to be here. I’m on the deed, and I’m a resident of the property.”
“You moved out!”
“We had a disagreement,” he said to the officer, not to me. “I stayed with my son for a few weeks. I continue to get my mail here, and the utilities are under my name. She doesn’t have a restraining order.” He was handing him documents. “We co-own the property. I live here.”
I stared slack-jawed between them. The officer thumbed through the paperwork. Then he looked up at me. “If he’s a legal resident of the property, I can’t ask him to leave.”
“You’re kidding me…” I breathed.
Jessica crossed her arms. “Neil, you can’t be serious.”
“Jessica, this is my house, and Alexis is the woman I love. I’m not walking away from either of them.”
“Don’t you dare pretend this is about me,” I spat, feeling my face grow hot. “You’re not living here.”
He looked back at the officer. “I’m going inside now. Is there anything else you need from me?”