“Vee, or as she’s formally known, Vanessa, wasn’t just my date.”
“Vanessa?” Adam queried. “You meantheVanessa who was married to your sister’s scumbag fiancé?”
“Yes,” he answered. “The same.”
“So you were lying when you called her your date?” As always, Adam’s keen perception shone through at the worst of times.
“Yes. At that moment, it was a lie. I didn’t want you talking to Derrick. You know there’s only one secret he’s been able to keep. I didn’t want him figuring this all out or accidentally saying something to Cindy before Vanessa talked to her.”
“Something changed, right? Soon it wasn’t all about Cindy anymore.” Again, Adam was spot on. Something had changed.
“During the time she was here, we realized we liked each other, a lot. One thing led to another, and before you know it, I was making love to her on my couch when Cindy and Karl walked in.”
The long groan coming through the phone relieved some of Michael’s tension. At least his friend was beginning to understand how problematic things were.
“Damn, man, that couldn’t have gone well.”
Michael shook his head as the memory floated across his brain.“It didn’t. After we dressed, Vanessa confronted Cindy and Karl with the truth. Cindy was devastated.”
“And probably furious to boot,” Adam added.
“Yeah. That too.” He mustered a wry chuckle as the memory played out in his mind.
“I could see how that might make things weird between you. It’s just… to leave and not call for two weeks, man, that seems extreme. Or was there something else going?”
Michael wanted to let Adam believe the lie. It would make things so much easier if he did.
“Michael?” Adam was using his principal’s voice now, and like always, Michael was susceptible to it.
“All right,” he snapped, annoyed that his friend could read him so well, even over the phone. “There was something else.” The line was silent as his friend waited for him to speak. “Things were so good between us, I didn’t want to let her go. So, I encouraged her to buy Mr. Montgomery’s accounting business. When she didn’t bite the first time, I went behind her back and tried to set up a virtual meeting with Mr. Montgomery so she could buy the shop.”
Adam was silent again, and Michael knew whatever he was about to say was probably going to be something he didn’t want to hear. “I take it Vanessa didn’t care for this surprise meeting, did she?”
“I was only trying to help, man.”
“No, you were trying to manage her. The same way you attempt to manage everyone you care about.”
Michael wanted to deny it. In fact, he was gearing up a strong argument to the contrary. “Because you couldn’t manage what happened to them?”
Michael remained quiet. Not sure he could talk even if he wanted to. To verbalize it still hurt too much.
“Don’t, Adam.”
“Mike, it wasn’t your fault. Your father made a decision. The factthat he made that choice means the outcome wasn’t your fault or your responsibility. You keep holding on to everyone so tightly, and you’re gonna lose the ones you love.”
“I didn’t want her to leave.” His voice was clipped and his chest was tight as the pulsing knot in the center of his rib cage compressed his airway. The last time he’d felt like this was when his parents had died and he was left to pick up the pieces. Gratefully, Vanessa was alive. She simply wasn’t here and yet her absence was pushing him to the edge.
“I know you didn’t, man. I can tell from the way this is affecting you that she meant a lot. But you can’t keep everyone you love in a box. Life doesn’t work like that.”
“I know that… now.” It was a moot point at this time, still, he’d learned his lesson well. “She doesn’t want anything to do with me. She said I’m too controlling and she won’t put up with it.”
“Did you tell her why?”
Silence filled the line again as that damn emotional knot seemed to press harder against his lungs.
“Michael. Tell her. If you do, she might understand that you’re not a manipulative asshole like her ex. If you care about this woman, and I think you do since you seem so tore up by her leaving, you’ve got to let her know why.”
He could not do this right now, if ever. He could not think about everything one bad decision had cost him.
