27
ACCOMPLICE
Jesse
In the two weeks that followed the karate tournament, Jesse tried talking to Eliana a thousand times in a thousand different ways. He texted, he called, he sat outside the guest bedroom door, knocking late into the night. Begging. But it was like he’d become a ghost, mute and transparent as far as Eliana was concerned.
The only exceptions were when they shared space with Abby and Zoey—but in those moments, he could not speak freely. He couldn’t demand answers to questions that they had no business hearing. So instead, he used those opportunities to draw close to Eliana. To joke around and show her how good things could be when they were a unit. When they were happy.
But it did nothing to thaw her heart towards him. There was no hint of leniency in her eyes in the rare moments when she glanced in his direction—only condemnation. A reminder, with each glance, that his time was running short.
He’d visited three different banks about loans, but there was nothing left to loan against. No collateral left unclaimed. They wouldn’t offer him an unsecured loan with enough reach to cover his spending.
It left him only one course of action—William, his boss. Jesse had been trying and failing to catch him in his office for two straight weeks. He knew the man was avoiding him, but he couldn’t do it forever. Jesse had been loyal. He’d kept their secrets. He’d earned his place in their scheme, rather than accepting the chump change they threw his way in exchange for compliance. It was time they returned the fucking favor and came through forhimfor once.
A quarter of his time was gone, with nothing to show for it, when the week of Thanksgiving arrived. Eliana was hosting dinner with her parents, a pair of old rednecks who enjoyed sticking their noses where they didn’t belong, but Jesse knew how much sway they held over Eliana, and how close the three of them still were. It could be the opening he needed.
He was still thinking over his plans as he unloaded the mountains of groceries Eliana had sent him to the store to retrieve. Too distracted by the task at hand, his issues with William, and his schemes to reconcile to notice the person waiting on the sidewalk. That is, until he was brought up short by a body blocking the path to his front door.
Beatrice.
Jesse’s eyes flew wide, darting to the door, before flying back to the woman before him. Zoey had just called to tell him that Eliana was running her up to the school to grab her forgotten science project, so the house wasprobablyempty, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
“You can’t be here,” he whispered, shuffling around herbody and glancing at the windows, searching for curious eyes. “Why are you here?”
“Because you won’t answer the damn phone!” Bea snapped, her voice shrill.
Jesse cringed. Had it always been that screechy?
He hurried to lay the grocery bags on the porch, then spun around, leading Bea back down the path and pulling her to a stop behind his car, out of view of the windows. She was wearing the same designer clothes, her makeup and hair styled the same way—but there was something different. Something . . . frazzled about her appearance.
“Then why do you keep trying?” He snapped back.
Bea’s eyes flashed, then she took a slow breath. “You never told me what the plan was.”
Jesse peeked around the front of the car, checking for witnesses. “For what?” He asked, scratching at his elbow. The damn thing never stopped itching. He’d gone through three jars of Vaseline in a month.
“Forus.”
“To do what?” He asked, distracted, his eyes scanning the neighbors’ yards.
“To betogether.” Bea snapped her fingers in front of his nose. “Are you paying attention?”
The words connected, his synapses finally firing, and he turned incredulous eyes upon Bea. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m asking when you’re planning to leave Eliana,” Bea said, a pout on her lips. She stepped closer, laying a hand on his chest. “I’m on my own here, and I could use a hand.”
Jesse staggered back a step, horrified, shoving her hand off. “I’m not leaving my wife. I wouldnever. I love Eliana.”
Bea scoffed, then paused at the determination she found in his steely gaze. “You can’t be serious?”
Jesse’s brow pulled low as he stared back. “Of course I am. I never made you any promises. We were just . . . having fun. And it’s over now.”
Something dark twisted Bea’s expression before it smoothed once more into a placid expression of practiced disinterest. “If that’s the case, I’d have to assume you haven’t told her about the fun we had,” she said, casually examining her nails, “given herhard linefor cheating and all.”
“Are you threatening me?” Jesse asked, his tone deep and stunned, shocked by the sudden about-face.
“It’s only a matter of time before she discovers the truth. All I’m saying is that it would be a shame if the news were to just . . . slip out by accident.”
