Iwas imagining things. Ihadto be. Except that I wasn’t. Bill was disheveled. He was fuming. And he was marching in my direction, as real as the ground under my high heels.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as he approached.
“Are you trying to make me look like an idiot?” he accused.
“What—”
On his last stride, he thrust a finger in my face, and I stumbled backward. “How dare you ask me to buy you that house when youknewthat son of a bitch was going to make an offer?”
My heart dropped to my feet. He’d found out that David had made an offer on the Oak Park house. But how? It didn’t matter. Any way he’d heard would be a shitty way, especially because it hadn’t come from me. “I know how this looks,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm, “but I had no idea David planned to buy it.”
“Bullshit. I’ve tried to be patient, but this is too far.” He gritted his teeth. “Did you guys meet there to screw or what?”
I covered my mouth at the horrible accusation. David and Ihadmade plenty of mistakes, but none of it had been premeditated or intended to hurt. “No,” I said, choking back a sob, but the look in Bill’s eyes told me he wouldn’t believe anything I said.
“Playtime is over, Olivia. I tried making this easy. I tried giving you space. Now we’re doing this my way.” Bill seized my arm and dragged me out of the lounge.
I tried to wrench my arm away, but he held it in an iron grip. “Let go,” I said.
As we crossed the lobby, conversations stalled when people began to look at us.
“Olivia!” Gretchen called from somewhere behind me.
“Bill, stop,” I said, trying to stop but handicapped by my high stilettos. “My purse—”
“We’ll get it later. You’re coming home with me right now,” Bill said, “and we’re going to forget this ridiculous shit ever happened.”
“Bill, calm down, and let go of me,” I implored. “Please.”
He halted abruptly and whirled to face me. “Why?” he asked. “Afraid I’ll make a scene at your little party?”
I stared at a face as familiar to me as anything, but I barely recognized Bill through his ugly sneer.
Over my shoulder, Bill barked at a partygoer, “What the fuck are you looking at?”
“I know you’re angry,” I said to him, “but this isn’t you. Please, you’re hurting me.”
His grip loosened. “Why’d he buy that house?”
My throat dried. I didn’t know how to explain it like this, with people staring, with Bill only able to hear what he wanted to believe. “I—I don’t . . .”
“Jesus,” Bill said, drawing back to look me over. “Did he buy you this dress, too? Is that what you want, to be treated like a spoiled brat? You’re looking for someone like Daddy?”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked through a haze of tears.
“You’rethe one doing this.” He gripped my arm again and yanked me forward. “And I had to hear it from our goddamn realtor—”
“Liv!” Gretchen screamed behind me.
“Stay out of this, you nosy bitch,” Bill called over his shoulder just as Brian Ayers hopped into our path.
“Hey, now. You don’t speak to a lady like that,” he said as Gretchen caught up. Brian’s eyes shot to my elbow. “Olivia, who’s this?”
“I’m her husband,” Bill said. “Who the hell are you?”
“Just let go, man,” Brian said, pursing his lips, “and we can have a rational discussion about this.”
“Great,” Bill said, twisting to look at me. “Are you doing this guy, too?”
