As if her mind knew when to stop to preserve these gifts, she woke suddenly. She didn’t needed to face the end—the night, heartbroken, she’d left.
Danika felt disoriented as she awoke to the pale morning light, the world washed out around her. She scooted up against her pillows, her throat like sandpaper as she swallowed and noticed Bill next to her. He’d pulled a chair to her bed. His face was swollen and red, his hand bandaged and resting on his knee.
He reached for a water glass from the bedside table and handed it to her. She took a long, cool sip, the water so refreshing it felt holy.
“Danika.” Bill sounded as weak as the light.
She clutched the glass tighter, remembering the night before. As if he could see her thoughts, he let his head fall down into his hands.
“I never meant for this to happen.” He looked up at her, tears in the corners of his eyes. Danika realized that in all their years together, she’d never seen him cry. This thought jolted her awake.
“I’ve only ever wanted to build our family. To support you and the boys.”
He continued from there, explaining how everything had started, hesitating before saying that he’d never wanted to accept he was attracted to men.
“You know my parents, my family. One can only imagine how they’d react. How they will react, when I tell them.”
Bill kept talking as if searching for penance, explaining how one night after a golf event, he and Wyatt had gone for drinks with Joshua Mike. The whole group was going out bar crawling, and eventually,they ended up at a swingers club. Bill said Joshua Mike had tricked the group into going—he thought it was hilarious.
“I was livid,” Bill continued, “but Wyatt convinced me to stay for a drink, and we got to talking as everyone paired off. It was an awful place, and I should have left right away, but we kept talking, and my cab was taking forever. We realized how much we had in common. Far more than golf...” He forced a small, pained smile. “I don’t mean to make excuses. I need to own my actions, but I also want you to understand. I never meant to hurt you.”
Bill sighed and rubbed his chin, his rare morning stubble.
“Abby, their friend, was there that night. She saw Wyatt and me together. I think she inferred something was going on. Even though nothing happened that night, I suppose we still had a connection. It wasn’t until the next day at Briar Ridge... It feels insane to say, but Wyatt and I are right together. Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you this, but it seems you’ve had your own share of love lost. I’m hoping you can understand.”
Danika knew it would have been easier to hate him. To be angry, the scorned wife. But Bill looked so broken, and she felt so broken, and she was so tired of fighting. She believed him. Plus, he was right: She had lost love. She did understand. She’d been lying all these years, too.
“Bill.” Her voice was barely audible.
“You don’t have to explain,” he said, retreating. “Not if you don’t want to.”
She leaned back into her pillow. She only wished they had come clean earlier—that she’d told him about Trey earlier, that she’d known about Wyatt. Everything made more sense now. The affair explained Bill’s hot-and-cold behavior this summer, his passion and guilt conflicting. How had she missed it?
“Obviously the financial situation with the properties, and Joshua Mike, is a different issue. It all got so bad when he found out about Wyatt and me. He walked in on us one day.” He looked at his hands. “But, Danika, I’m going to fix it. I promise you that. I never should have caved to him. One way or another, I promise I’m going to fix it.” He held his breath. “But I’m also going to be with Wyatt. I have to. I’ll always be there for you and the boys. I just have to choose him, too. I have to fix my life.”
Danika felt a new, deep calm overtake her. She wasn’t sure who was more surprised, her or Bill, as she scrambled over the bed, stood, and cradled his head in her arms, his tears soaking the front of her silk nightgown.
32
Chat left after three in the morning. Leah had run out of questions, and exhaustion had engulfed them all. Plus, there was only one clear next step.
They had to talk to Teuta.
Chat had tried to approach her the week prior. All summer he’d been trying to get to know her and build a rapport before he asked for her help. But when he finally told her who he was—when he asked about that night—she shut down. She told him that was her past life. She told him she didn’t know anything.
“I knew her by that point. I could tell she was holding back. I knew she was scared.”
Augie didn’t know what to think. On top of everything, she realized this had been Chat’s goal all summer: mine people for information. Had Augie only been a pawn? As she finally climbed into bed that night, she tried not to think about how many people had lied to her. Thankfully, she was so drained, she fell asleep before she could overthink further.
Chat was supposed to pick them both up to go to Hyla that morning, but as Augie woke to the sound of Leah in the kitchen, she knew she couldn’t go.
“Lee?” Augie said as Leah turned to her. “I’m not sure if I should go with... I might only be a distraction. I think you guys should talk alone.”
Leah nodded. “It’s okay. I understand.” She looked focused and charged with adrenaline. Augie knew she’d be fine without her; nothing was getting in her way. So when Chat pulled into the driveway at seven o’clock sharp, Augie only hugged Leah tight and said good luck.
After everything that had happened, it felt strange to be alone. It was hard to hold it all in her mind—from the luau to her New York confession to everything surfacing about Trey and Lyle. Augie could only focus on simple tasks: emptying the coffee grounds, taking a shower, trying to eat a piece of toast.
She wished she could distract herself with work, and finally—as if the world knew she needed it—her email pinged.
