CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Fiona

The next few days passed quickly, but the nights seemed to drag on forever. Kyle was back home, his suitcases stacked neatly in a corner, sleeping alone in the master bedroom. I slept in the guest room and refused to let him near me after our initial hugging and crying jag. We were cordial, but we both knew it was over. Kyle was resistant at first, wanting to plead his case and offer his deepest, sincerest apologies, but his words fell on deaf ears. I promised to stay with him until his mother was buried. That would happen today at two. The moment Ramona was in the ground, our marriage, and all pretense of happiness, would be over.

As you would expect, Edward was a wreck. He hadn’t eaten or slept much since his wife’s death. I worried about him, but his doctor, the one who was still sunning himself in Antigua when Ramona died, assured me that Edward was strong and would survive his mourning.

Kyle drifted around the penthouse like a ghost seeking the afterlife, quietly, deliberately, without much to say after I told him his words had no effect on me. I focused my attention on making the funeral arrangements and fielding calls from other family and close friends. It felt like I had talked to everyone Ramona had ever known. She had impacted a lot of lives. Lots of people, including myself, would miss her and were sad that she was gone.

I refused to let Danny O stay in my home. He had his own apartment uptown. I told him to go home and stay there until his master whistled for him.

The one person I didn’t talk to was Nick. I didn’t call him because I had no idea what to say to him. When I left his apartment on Saturday, I told him I was leaving to take care of a work emergency. I had not called him since or tried to see him. I imagined by this point he had written me off as some flaky broad and wouldn’t speak to me. Our brief affair had ended before it even had the chance to get started, as did any chance of a future relationship.

A few minutes before two in the afternoon, Edward, Kyle, and I climbed into the back of the black limousine to head to the church downtown. Kyle insisted on letting Danny O ride with us. I was too tired to argue. Danny climbed in with a greasy smirk on his face and sat across from me. Danny’s neck pushed against the collar of his starched shirt. His rounded shoulders and thick arms made the jacket appear a size too small. He twitched now and then, jerking his right shoulder toward his ear. He’d shake his head as if to ward off the spasm and glance at me to see if I was watching him. I avoided his eyes by staring at the tissue I was wadding into a ball between my gloved hands in my lap.

We arrived at the church to find it already packed with mourners. I sat on the front row between Edward and Kyle with my head down and the tissue to my nose. The service was brief, just the usual religious BS about the circle of life, a reading from Ramona’s “favorite” Bible passage (which I was sure the priest had selected since Ramona had never read the Bible a day in her life), then a song I didn’t recognize from the choir, and a few closing words from the priest. The organist played Amazing Grace as everyone ushered out of the church through the wide front doors, making way for the family to go first.

Only the family and close friends were invited to attend the graveside service, which hopefully would be over as quick as the funeral. I loved Ramona dearly, but I was ready to get on with my life and I couldn’t do that until she was buried. I was literally counting the minutes. Being near Kyle, was like standing next to a wall of poison ivy: just the thought of his touch or the sound of his voice made me break out in hives.

I was grateful when the church service was over. I needed fresh air. Sitting between Edward and Kyle was like sitting in the jaws of a vise. I could feel their presence crushing me, compressing my lungs, forcing my heart to beat heavier to keep the blood flowing through my limbs. When everyone stood to exit the church, I practically ran to get out the door. I inhaled deeply as I emerged through the doors and into the warm, fresh air. I left Kyle and Edward on the steps to thank people for coming and walked down the sidewalk toward the limousine. When I looked up, Nick was there, leaning against the limo with his hands in his pockets.

“Oh, hi,” I said, unable to mask the shock on my face. I sniffed back tears and tried to smile at him. “How are you?”

He was impeccably dressed in a black suit. His eyes were covered by dark sunglasses. I could see the muscles pulsing in his jaws. He took off the glasses and put his hands behind his back, as if he were afraid to leave them dangling free at his sides. His face was emotionless. “I’m fine. You?”

“As well as can be expected,” I said quietly, looking back over my shoulder. Kyle and Edward were still shaking hands and accepting hugs.

He nodded and looked toward the church. “My condolences for your loss. Ramona was a nice person. The only Cassidy that didn’t make me want to punch holes in brick walls. I always found it odd that she gave birth to a fucking cunt like Kyle.”

I thought the bluntness of his words were overly harsh given the circumstances, but I gave a slight nod of agreement because I felt the same way. I knew he hated Kyle, but despite his words, I also knew the anger he was seething with was directed at me.

He took a deep breath and sighed it out, then turned to face me. “So. Fiona Cassidy with a C. How about that.”

“Nick, please, I can explain.”

“There’s no need,” he said stiffly, holding up a hand between us. “You are Kyle Cassidy’s wife.”

“Yes.”

He put on the sunglasses and looked away, as if he couldn’t stand to look me in the eye. “Well, it truly is a small world. Ironic that the woman I have been fucking for the last few days is the wife of a man I can’t stand.” He stuck out his lips and bobbed his head. “Funny, you would think that fucking you behind Kyle’s back would give me all kinds of sick pleasure. But somehow, it just doesn’t give me the satisfaction you might think it would. Weird, huh.”

“Nick, please, let me explain.”

He shook his head. “There’s no need. It was what it was. We had a good time and now it’s over.”

I couldn’t help reaching for him. My fingers tugged at his lapel. “Nick, please, I don’t want it to be over.”

“What’s going on here?” I turned to find Kyle and Edward walking toward us. I brushed the tissue to my eyes and turned toward them.

“Mr. Patron was just offering his condolences,” I said, forcing a smile that lasted but a few seconds.

“Very kind of you, Patron,” Edward said, extending his hand. Nick shook his hand and made the usual “if I can do anything please let me know” offer that everyone made. Kyle and Nick stared at each other. Neither extended his hand.

“We should be going,” Kyle said, stepping forward to put his hand on my arm. His fingers dug into my elbow and pulled me toward him. He tapped on the window of the limousine and the window went down. Danny O was sitting in the back seat, smiling at me. He glanced at Nick and hitched his chin. He had heard every word.

“Again, my deepest condolences,” Nick said, nodding at Edward. He ignored Kyle, then looked down his nose at me. “Mrs. Cassidy, nice to see you again.”

Nick turned and walked away. Danny got out of the limo and held the door so Edward and I could climb inside. Kyle paused long enough for Danny to whisper in his ear.

When Kyle slid into the seat beside me, I could tell he knew the truth. I could feel the heat coming off him, like a volcano about to erupt. He was fuming that I had been playing his game.

And more than anything, I was sure that he wasn’t happy that I’d slept with his worst enemy.

There would be hell to pay in some shape, form or fashion.

And I knew that hell would rain down on me.