She set her jaw. “There’s nothing to tell. This is completely out of context.”
Of course there wasn’t anything to tell. He didn’t want to listen to any lies. “No one with a drug problem thinks there’s actually a problem.”
His wife hadn’t, right up until her problem killed her.
Elisa’s breath left her in a whoosh, like he’d punched her in a gut. “You don’t believe me.”
“I think the way a person reacts when they’re caught by surprise says a lot.” He snapped.
He stood up abruptly, and Souze scrambled to his feet to join him. The woman, Julie, stood her ground just long enough to brush against him accidentally before taking a few steps back. “Oh, are you leaving?”
He glared at the woman. “I think the two of you have some catching up to do.”
She smiled, fluttering long fake eyelashes at him. “We do. But after she’s checked back in with her mother and her fiancé, maybe Elisa could introduce us properly and we could get to know each other.”
Disgust filled him. Scavenger. “Pass.”
Elisa came to her feet. “Alex. Please don’t leave.”
He took a couple of steps away. Hell, he couldn’t even look at her. “I need to clear my head. Text me when you’re ready to head back.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I have a rental car. I plan to take her to wherever she’s staying and help her pack up.” Julie brushed a hand down his back, and he stiffened. Souze growled. Her touch disappeared. “Elisa should really go back to where she belongs.”
Red haze crept across his vision. Suddenly, the café was too crowded. Conversations, whispers going on around him left him vulnerable, exposed. There was no room to get clear and no place to take cover. He’d just get enough distance to cool down and she still had her phone. Rojas left before he exploded.
*
Elisa watched Alex leave, incredulous. He didn’t believe her.
Julie, who was supposed to be her friend, let out a disgusted sigh and sat in Alex’s seat. “He’s got a crappy attitude. Where did you even find him?”
Elisa closed her eyes. “Why are you here, Julie?”
It didn’t make sense. Julie had been a friend since her last year in college. Elisa had shared everything with her about getting her first job, dating, even meeting Joseph. Julie had been excited for her through it all, supportive. But when Elisa began to see the reality of belonging to Joseph, Julie had been more inclined to make the same arguments as Elisa’s mother so the two of them had grown distant.
Once Elisa had left, she sent Julie one e-mail to let her friend know she was okay, but she hadn’t been in contact since. Her being here made no sense. Her being in communication with Joseph was crazy.
“I told you, your mother and your fiancé are worried about you.” Julie’s voice dripped with sweetness.
It probably wasn’t worth noting that Julie hadn’t claimed to be concerned about Elisa’s well-being. Wouldn’t want to be struck down by lightning or anything.
“My mother, I’d believe. Joseph wouldn’t be worried about me so much as concerned about what people would think when they found out I left him.” Elisa pulled out her purse. Hopefully she had enough cash to cover dinner so she could go after Alex. They needed to clear the air, at least, even if he was done with her. And he shouldn’t go walking through New Hope angry the way he was. She’d promised to help him tonight and she would, even if he was beyond angry with her.
“See, I don’t understand why the fuck you would leave Joseph.” Julie leaned forward and took a spoonful of Elisa’s dessert. “He’s got money, influence, looks. He’s the full package. He had the most incredible house set up for you.”
“A house surrounded by guard dogs as likely to keep me from leaving as keep anyone from coming in.” Elisa tasted bile as she thought about it.
“Obviously, you don’t mind dogs.” Julie waved a spoon in the general direction of where Alex and Souze had gone.
Everyone had their own definition of what they were looking for. Elisa had been happy exploring the connection she shared with Alex, but it wasn’t until he’d walked away, believing awful things about her, that she realized how much his opinion mattered to her. The absence of his trust left her aching, hollow. Worse, she was angry. Betrayed. He could’ve at least listened to her. But like everyone else, including the former friend sitting across the table from her, he hadn’t.
“You have no concept of the difference.” Elisa glared at Julie. “You didn’t understand when I tried to explain why Joseph wasn’t the right partner for me in the first place, and I don’t expect you to now. But I’m assuming he told you how to find me. Didn’t you stop to wonder how he knew? Or how incredibly insane his behavior has been, chasing me from state to state across the entire country?”