“Then…” Janae responded. “What’s the problem? He’s a good person, he’s fine, gainfully employed, and he knows how to toss your salad. Why are you sitting here looking like the world is about to fall down around your head?”
Janae wasn’t wrong. Michael was all the things she’d listed. Unfortunately, there was one detail she couldn’t overlook.
“Cindy and Karl walked in on us last night as we were about to start round two.”
They both sat up straighter with matching pinched brows and laser focused gazes on Vanessa.
“She came home earlier than expected and headed straight for Michael’s house.”
“What happened? How’d she take it?” Cree asked with genuine concern for Cindy in her voice.
“How did Karl?” Tinged with the slightest bit of salacious curiosity, Janae’s question, laced with just enough pettiness, it was obvious she hoped things hadn’t gone well for Karl.
“Cindy was shocked because she didn’t know who I was. Karl was almost apoplectic. For all his smooth talking, he couldn’t weasel his way out of this situation. Especially after I showed her our marriage license, our divorce decree, and our wedding album. Showing her those things accompanied with the story of how controlling and abusive he was, she could finally see him for the master manipulator that he is.”
Janae regarded her carefully, nodding as she pieced things together to come to a conclusion. “So your mission was successful, then? I’m sure it wasn’t easy for Cindy to accept. You have to know you did the right thing in showing her who Karl really is, though. So why the long face?”
“Because,” Vanessa huffed. “She wasn’t just upset with Karl, or me, for that matter. She took her anger out on Michael too. She stormed out of the house and I had to nearly restrain him to get him to agree to give her the night to handle things before he showed up at her door.”
Cree shrugged before taking a sip of her own coffee. “This all sounds good, Vee. Why the worry lines in the middle of your forehead?”
“Because you didn’t see how devastated Cindy was. I don’t think Michael will be able to focus on us right now.”
Janae slid her hand across the table until it rested on top of Vanessa’s. “Vanessa, I’ve known Michael a long time. And if hecares about you, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to keep you safe and near. Give him a chance to figure this all out. Or is this really about Michael at all?”
She felt the sting of unshed tears heating her eyes and face. This situation was so out of her depth. She had no clue how to proceed from here.
“I know he’s just looking out for his sister. I know he’s got this deep need to always be her hero and manage every part of her life. I know all of that comes from a good place. What I don’t know is if I’m in the space where I can deal with a man who needs to manage everyone around him. Especially after everything I went through with Karl.”
Trying hard to keep her composure, she picked up the coffee cup Janae had moved and took a sip. It had a pleasurable taste, it was simply worthless at helping her handle her emotions.
She blinked, and the dam broke as tears spilled onto her cheek, down her face, and into her coffee. Good thing she was drinking salted caramel, otherwise the salty tang might taste weird.
“Vanessa,” Cree began. “Michael is not Karl. Yes, he’s a micromanager, he always has to be around just in case someone needs him. But like you said, it all comes from a good place. Don’t confuse his need to protect the people he cares about with Karl’s manipulations.”
Janae gave her a sad smile. “While you know how much I hate it when Cree is right,” she began as her deep brown eyes softened, “sheisright. Michael is not Karl. Don’t paint him with the same brush as your trifling ex.”
She heard her friends. And she honestly wanted to hold on to everything they were saying. But deep down, there was still this growing worry that being with Michael would be like making a U-turn into her past.
Her phone rang, forcing her to wipe her face and try to get her shaky voice under control. The five-seven-zero area code madeher quake even more. This was probably Michael calling her from his sister’s house or the department.
“Hello.” Her voice still sounding frail and raw, she cleared her throat and tried again. “Hello?”
“Ms. Jared.” The unfamiliar voice put her on alert. “This is Jeb, the mechanic who towed your Jag.”
“Is everything okay?” Vanessa tensed. If this man had damaged her baby, she was going to lose it. “Please don’t tell me there’s something wrong with my car.”
Jeb’s lighthearted chuckle helped loosen the ball of tension she could feel tightening at the base of her neck.
“No, ma’am, your car is fine.” He chuckled again and this time she smiled, slightly tickled by his amusement. “I take it you’re either tired of this town or eager to get back home.”
“A little of both,” she huffed, taking a moment to glance up at her friends who were watching her intently.
“Well, then, I’ve got good news for you. I called to tell you it’s ready.”
“Oh, really?” Her voiced dropped to its lower register as sadness set in. Why was she sad? Easiest answer: Michael. She didn’t want to leave him behind.
“Yeah. The part came in sooner than expected, so I was able to shave a couple of days off. If you’re agreeable to me using the credit card information you supplied when I towed the car, I can bill it, then deliver the car to the sheriff’s house.”
