Randy suddenly spoke up. “Brian is a good man, Elizabeth. He’s trying to move forward …”
Rabbit held up her hand, her voice tight with disbelief. “Brian is a good man? A good man, Randy?” She laughed bitterly. Her hand came up and squeezed mine. “Last night I knocked over my coffee and this man teased me about being a klutz, wiped up the mess, brought me another coffee and kissed me.” Her hand moved and pointed in Brian’s direction. “One evening at a dinner, I knocked over a glass of water and that good man dislocated my shoulder pulling me up the stairs when we got home.” She stepped forward, her body visibly trembling. “Last week, I wore a shirt that was so bright it made your eyes hurt and Joshua told me I was beautiful.” Her voice dropped. “One day, I wore a blouse that was not to his liking and that good man of yours beat me so badly I thought I was going to die. Do you want me to continue?”
Randy’s voice was shaking as he tried to defend Brian. “He regrets his actions. He does. He’s done so well with his counseling…” his voice trailed off as I snorted.
“His counseling?” I laughed. “He’s barely even scratched the surface regarding the amount of counseling he needs. Any doctor with any sense would …” I stopped short.
Doctor.
My eyes narrowed. “You son of a bitch. You’re not leaving the country for a fresh start. You’re running. You know that doctor you had hiding all Lizzy’s injuries is being indicted. You’re leaving before your name gets brought up. You fucking coward.”
Brian averted his eyes, but didn’t say anything.
Rabbit looked at me then stared at him for a minute. “Why did you look for me when I left?”
“My father made me. He said we had to find you. To protect our name. The reputation he had built up. He made up the cover story and bought people off. He said …”
Rabbit shook her head as she held up her hand. “I don’t understand. What if I hadn’t lost my memory? What then?”
He shrugged. “He had a plan for that as well. He had all your records altered to show a trail of mental instability. It was his idea to drug you and keep your head fuzzy so you would act strangely and make people think it was true. He thought …”
Rabbit suddenly snapped. “I’m tired of hearing about what your father thought. You’re a grown man, Brian. You just don’t act like it.” She shook her head, sighing wearily. “In fact, I don’t want to know anymore. I was nothing to you. You hurt me because I was nothing to you but a means to an end. You had no problem destroying me or my life as long as you were protected. No problem drugging me to make you look like the better man for putting up with a slightly crazy wife. Because it was always about the image for you. Wasn’t it?”
Brian remained quiet although he was shifting uncomfortably under Rabbit’s anger.
“Wasn’t it?” she demanded.
He looked up. “Yes.”
“You want my forgiveness so you can go and be happy, is that it? You can move on?”
Brian nodded. “I did everything you asked. You have your divorce. I even donated more money than you asked. I’ve gone for counseling. I’m trying, Elizabeth.”
Rabbit’s head bowed for a minute. I began to move forward. I was done with this farce. She’d listened to enough of his bullshit excuse for an apology. But then she spoke. “Do you remember, Brian, that day when I told you I wasn’t happy and that I thought we should get a divorce? If you had just been honest with me and told me what was happening, I think … no, I know I would have helped you.” Rabbit sighed, sounding frustrated, before continuing.
“I would have stayed married to you until you could figure out a way to fix your life. I didn’t love you, Brian, but unlike you, I did care. If you had acted like a human being and talked to me instead of breaking my wrist, I would have helped you.” Rabbit shook her head again, and her voice was thick with tears. “And now you want my forgiveness. Well, you can’t have it, Brian. I gave you everything but this. This, I won’t give you. Go and live your life. But I’m not sure you will ever know what it is to be really happy.” She stepped back into my side and her hand slipped into mine, holding it tightly.
“But know this, Brian. I am happy. I’m loved and I’m cared for. I will stay that way because of the man next to me.” Her hand tightened on mine. “This man knows what the meaning of love is, Brian. The goodness in him is beyond description. That’s something you will never understand. Ever.”
Then she looked at Randy.