Karan’s mouth gapes open. “You did… but then she said—”
“That!” I gesture with my arms, barely able to control my movements. “That’s exactly fucking it, Karan! That, right there, is the problem.”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Karan shakes his head. “I just went and told her not to feed it to them. It’s fine, Rachel. There is no problem.”
“The problem isn’t the fucking lasagna!”
I should lower my voice if I don’t want the people living in the cabins around the bay to peer outside.
But I don’t care. Let them stare.
“I told you something, and then you decided to trust your mommy over me. Me. Your. Wife.” I point to my chest, poking myself so hard it almost hurts. “The problem, Karan, is that it took me telling you somethingtwicebefore you actually took action and trustedmeoverher.”
This time, Karan doesn’t interrupt me. He looks at me with full focus, ready to listen.
Too little, too late.
“And you know.” I laugh without humour. “You know your mom’s judgement is iffy with health stuff. I’m a pharmacist, for fuck’s sake.”
“I’m sorry,” Karan breathes out, his gaze falling to the ground.
I’m sure he is sorry, but right now I couldn’t care less. Not with the burning rage scalding my insides.
“I can’t fucking believe you.”
“Fuck, Rachel, you’re right.” He rubs the back of his neck and deigns to look at me again. “She seemed so sure. But you’re right; I should have trusted you first. And I’m going to from now on—”
“No.”
A look of surprise, then confusion sets in his eyes. “What?”
“I said no.”
I clench my jaw, determined not to fucking cry. I think I’m too pissed for it, anyway.
“I’m tired, Karan. I’m so fucking tired of fighting her for your approval. We just spent three days talking about this, and then we come back and you do this? No. I’m done.”
Hurt flashes in his eyes as his expression crumples. “Rachel, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying I’m done. This is over.” I take off like a shot, rage fueling my limbs as I sprint back toward the cabin.
“Rachel, wait!”
But I’m done waiting for him. In the thick snow, Karan’s heavyset shape works against him, and I make it to the rental car before he has a chance to catch up to me. By the time he does, I’ve already locked the doors.
He bangs against the window with an air of panic. “Rachel! Rachel, get out of the car!”
“I’m going into town,” I yell through the window so he hears me. “Don’t you fucking dare follow me.”
Ignoring his pleas, I pull out of the driveway, letting all the tiny pieces of my heart fall like a trail of crumbs behind me.
Chapter 34
Karan
Istand statued in the snow, knuckles bruised from banging on the car window, throat hoarse from the panicked shouting, and the only thing roaring in my mind is that I have no idea what the fuck just happened.
When I turn to face the cabin, the faces of my family stare back at me through the large glass window overlooking the sea and the mountains.
