She swallowed. “I may have mentioned that when you stopped funding her lifestyle, she left you. And without your money, she probably had to resort to shortcuts in her work. Like AI edits and cheaper photography equipment. Just small talk!”
Jesus fucking Christ. “Youtoldpeople that?”
“It’s what I believed,” she said stubbornly. “It’s what Istillbelieve. I don’t think her motives around you are innocent, and as I mentioned last night—”
“Stop. Just stop. You tried toruinher business, and you’restillpushing the bullshit.” Out. He needed to get the hell out and breathe. “I’m leaving.”
Sylvia pushed up. “Wait—when will I see you again?”
“When you can be better. When you can fix what you’ve broken.”
“Colt, please, I did this for you—”
“I never asked you to.Indieis my entire world. And I amnotletting you hurt her anymore.”
CHAPTER 17
Indie put her camera bag into the back of the car before sliding behind the wheel.
The family photo shoot had gone overtime because the ten-year-old boy wouldn’t smile for the first half hour. Just flat-out refused. It had taken a chocolate bar and a promise of extra TV time from the mom to get him to finally crack half a grin. Now it was almost dark, and Colt wouldn’t be happy.
She cringed when her phone rang. That would be him.
“I know, I’m late,” she said, before he could get a word in.
“Where are you?”
“I’m just leaving her house now.”
“Do you want me to come out there?”
“No, I’ll be home in fifteen minutes.”
“Fine.” The single word was almost growled. “But no stops.”
“So you don’t want me to pick up a pizza from Burt’s?”
Colt chuckled. They both knew how inedible those pizzas were. Heck, they were barely pizzas. “Not tonight. Maybe next week.”
“Or the week after, no rush.”
“Drive safe, Cricket.”
“Always do.”
She hung up and started the engine, and to her absolute surprise, it actually started on the first try. Well, maybe her evening was about to turn around.
She’d ordered a new Subaru. Well, actually, Colt had, because he’d refused to let her put down the deposit, but it wasn’t due to come in for another couple weeks. Colt had pushed for a new Volvo or BMW, claiming there were more safety features, while she’d been eyeing a secondhand Nissan.
The compromise had been a new Subaru.
She pulled onto the road and started heading home.
Since finding out Sylvia had started the rumors about her, Indie was even less inclined to spend Colt’s money. And yes, she knew she shouldn’t be letting Sylvia have that effect on her, but she did. Indie had never wanted Colt for his money. If anything, it only ever made her more hesitant about their relationship, because she knew she couldn’t match the monetary value that he brought to the marriage.
After everything else, she shouldn’t have been surprised the rumors were started by Sylvia. Still…it hurt. Maybe because it felt so malicious. And because she had no ideawhySylvia had done it, given Indie and Colt were already separated at the time. Just to hurt her? Or was there more to it than that?
Was she trying to drive Indie out of town by ensuring she couldn’t work in Amber Ridge?
