“Let’s do something fun to take your mind off things,” Cash said. “Want to go down to the pub for a mug of ale and a spot of ice cream?”
It took him one second to take advantage of my mistake. The fuck.
“What the hell, dude? I thought we were all friends.”
Cash only raised his eyebrows at me.
“I’mJillian’sfriend. I never liked you.”
What the hell? Only tolerating me for Jillian? That was a new concept for me.
Cash and I had a very good professional relationship, and I would have even considered him a friend. After all, wasn’t everyone in Ramshackle Bay my friend? We were one big happy family in this town.
So why was Cash instantly all over my wife?
Surely, Jillian wouldn’t?—
“Sure,” she said. “That sounds great.”
And Jillian gathered her long, silky brown hair into a ponytail and took his arm as they walked off down Main Street, Earnest and Augustus trailing behind.
“Your stuff is on the porch,” was all she said to me.
“Jillian, please,” I began, but she was gone before I could apologize again.
“You’re trespassing on my lawn,” Mrs. Greenberg rapped out to Christabelle, still standing there looking slack-jawed after my parents. “Better go before I call the Sheriff.”
“Shut up, you old bat!” Christabelle said, to my horror.
But Mrs. Greenberg could absolutely fend for herself.
“I’d rather be an old bat than a trashy little hussy,” she cackled. “Girl, that crab costume pulled half your extensions out.”
“It did what?” Christabelle shrieked.
“Your hair is in shambles,” Mrs. Greenberg repeated. “Now git.”
Christabelle scampered off down the street, clutching desperately at the extensions as they stuck out every which way, but I knew that wasn’t the end of her.
How was I going to get Christabelle out of town so I could make sure Jilian knew I didn’t give a fuck about her?
“So what’s it gonna be?” Mrs. Greenberg asked, poking me with her stick. “Are you my new tenant slash hired help?”
“All right,” I said unenthusiastically.
After all, I would be right next door to Jillian, and that was the main concern. It would give me an opportunity to further plead my case.
The full horror of my situation dawned on me as I climbed the steps of our cozy little blue house to move my things.
Jillian and I weren’t together anymore. It didn’t seem real.
The horror made me stupid, my movements slow, like my feet were stuck in quicksand. I looked helplessly around at the porch.
I didn’t want to move out. I couldn’t even contemplate a life without her. Everything was Franklin and Jillian, Frankie + Jills. We did everything together.
My eyes filled with tears as I stretched my hand into the entry way, my fingers stroking the soft worn sleeve of Jillian’s favorite old gray knitted sweater.
It was beginning to dawn on me how deeply I’d fucked up.
