Twelve
The lines of the report blurred on the computer screen, the numbers running together into one long cell that doubled then tripled. Emily closed her eyes, squeezing them tight in an attempt to clear her vision.
It didn't work.
She clicked out of the program then rolled her neck from side to side, trying to work the tight kinks from her muscles. The dull throbbing at the base of her skull continued to grow, radiating up and around to her temples. The headache had been with her the last two days and she had used it as an excuse to work from home.
Which would be perfect if she was actually getting any work done. But she wasn't, not enough to make her happy. Yes, she was ahead of her workload—she always was. But not as far as she wanted to be, not with the long holiday weekend coming up.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs behind her, quick, steady. Emily blew out a deep breath then swung her office chair around as Monica came toward her, a frown on her face.
"I need to leave for work. Will you be able to get Taylor from the bus stop?"
Emily glanced at her watch, surprised to see how late it was. Late, yes. But still too early for Monica to be heading into work. "Yeah. But aren't you leaving a little early?"
Her sister shrugged, her gaze darting around the small office Emily used when she worked from home. Apprehension filled her when Monica refused to meet her gaze and she wondered what was going on.
Monica had been distracted the last few days, almost distant. Had her sister somehow figured out what happened the other day?
Had she figured out Emily had slept with JP?
No, it couldn't be that. Monica would have said something if that had been the case. Which was fine by her, because it wasn't something Emily wanted to remember.
Except she hadn't been able to think of anything else for the last two days.
Emily leaned back in the chair and fixed a steady look on her sister. "You okay?"
"Hm? Yeah." Monica ran a hand through her hair then finally met Emily's gaze with a sigh. "No. I just...Em, I want to kill him. How can he do this to her?"
She knew instantly who 'he' was: Monica's ex, Jon. She straightened in the chair, her attention focused on her sister's frown, on the paleness of her complexion and the slight trembling of her pale lips. Emily knew what was coming, wasn't even the least bit surprised. But she didn't say anything, just waited until Monica was ready to get it out of her system.
Monica took a deep breath and held it, then slowly released it. She stepped over to the small bench pushed against the wall and lowered herself onto it, her body sagging as if just that little bit of movement drained her. "He cancelled everything this weekend. All of it. His new 'girlfriend' decided they'd have more fun going to New York. Adults only."
Sadness filled Emily, but only briefly. And she knew she should be disappointed but she couldn't be, not when this is exactly what she expected to happen. And why wouldn't it be? Jon had been doing this for the last few years, ever since the divorce. Why was Monica even surprised?
"Monica, I..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to find the right words, tried not to make it even worse. "I know you're upset, but I honestly don't think Taylor expected to see Jon this weekend. And what she doesn't know can't hurt her, right?"
Monica pulled her shoulders closer together and looked down, her body stiff, her posture both defeated and defensive. Anger rushed through Emily as she recognized the body language. Anger, disbelief...and disappointment. "Monica. Tell me you didn't."
Her sister was quiet for several minutes. Too quiet. Emily sighed, not bothering to hide her frustration. It was the wrong thing to do. Monica's head flew up, her dark brows lowered over eyes, her anger clear.
"Don't you dare judge me!"
"Monica, I'm not—"
"You don't know what it's like, you don't know what I go through. Always making excuses to Taylor, dying inside because her father doesn't care.
The lines of the report blurred on the computer screen, the numbers running together into one long cell that doubled then tripled. Emily closed her eyes, squeezing them tight in an attempt to clear her vision.
It didn't work.
She clicked out of the program then rolled her neck from side to side, trying to work the tight kinks from her muscles. The dull throbbing at the base of her skull continued to grow, radiating up and around to her temples. The headache had been with her the last two days and she had used it as an excuse to work from home.
Which would be perfect if she was actually getting any work done. But she wasn't, not enough to make her happy. Yes, she was ahead of her workload—she always was. But not as far as she wanted to be, not with the long holiday weekend coming up.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs behind her, quick, steady. Emily blew out a deep breath then swung her office chair around as Monica came toward her, a frown on her face.
"I need to leave for work. Will you be able to get Taylor from the bus stop?"
Emily glanced at her watch, surprised to see how late it was. Late, yes. But still too early for Monica to be heading into work. "Yeah. But aren't you leaving a little early?"
Her sister shrugged, her gaze darting around the small office Emily used when she worked from home. Apprehension filled her when Monica refused to meet her gaze and she wondered what was going on.
Monica had been distracted the last few days, almost distant. Had her sister somehow figured out what happened the other day?
Had she figured out Emily had slept with JP?
No, it couldn't be that. Monica would have said something if that had been the case. Which was fine by her, because it wasn't something Emily wanted to remember.
Except she hadn't been able to think of anything else for the last two days.
Emily leaned back in the chair and fixed a steady look on her sister. "You okay?"
"Hm? Yeah." Monica ran a hand through her hair then finally met Emily's gaze with a sigh. "No. I just...Em, I want to kill him. How can he do this to her?"
She knew instantly who 'he' was: Monica's ex, Jon. She straightened in the chair, her attention focused on her sister's frown, on the paleness of her complexion and the slight trembling of her pale lips. Emily knew what was coming, wasn't even the least bit surprised. But she didn't say anything, just waited until Monica was ready to get it out of her system.
Monica took a deep breath and held it, then slowly released it. She stepped over to the small bench pushed against the wall and lowered herself onto it, her body sagging as if just that little bit of movement drained her. "He cancelled everything this weekend. All of it. His new 'girlfriend' decided they'd have more fun going to New York. Adults only."
Sadness filled Emily, but only briefly. And she knew she should be disappointed but she couldn't be, not when this is exactly what she expected to happen. And why wouldn't it be? Jon had been doing this for the last few years, ever since the divorce. Why was Monica even surprised?
"Monica, I..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to find the right words, tried not to make it even worse. "I know you're upset, but I honestly don't think Taylor expected to see Jon this weekend. And what she doesn't know can't hurt her, right?"
Monica pulled her shoulders closer together and looked down, her body stiff, her posture both defeated and defensive. Anger rushed through Emily as she recognized the body language. Anger, disbelief...and disappointment. "Monica. Tell me you didn't."
Her sister was quiet for several minutes. Too quiet. Emily sighed, not bothering to hide her frustration. It was the wrong thing to do. Monica's head flew up, her dark brows lowered over eyes, her anger clear.
"Don't you dare judge me!"
"Monica, I'm not—"
"You don't know what it's like, you don't know what I go through. Always making excuses to Taylor, dying inside because her father doesn't care.
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