Devotion Page 17

  "Of course. It might be early, but even I can't handle two cups in the morning."

  "You're a lifesaver. So, how did I come across according to Katherine?"

  "I'm not here to take sides. I'm only here to help you. You guys are both my friends, and both have feelings."

  "Whoa. Please don't go all emotional with me. Because I've had enough of it over the last few days. I just want to move on with things, you know?"

  "Yeah, I understand. But I suppose now isn't the time to close people out. As hard as it is, you need to get everything off your chest and talk to someone who cares." If only I wasn't holding these damn coffee cups, I'd be touching him to accentuate how much I care.

  Corey grabs one mug and asks, "Is this mine?" He ignores what I've said without missing a beat. I understand his frustration and not wanting to deal with things, but I can see that he didn't sleep last night.

  Corey walks into the room away from me and takes a swig of the cup. It's not the right one. This latest argument with Katherine must have him rattled. I'm so close to witnessing him crack. Soon he'll break his spirit free from his wife's spell. I just have to push through any resistance.

  "Oh God," Corey says. "This is your coffee, isn't it? I'm so sorry. I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

  "It's okay, Corey. That's why I'm here. Anyone can see you need to talk about all of this."

  He places the drink down and shakes his head. "I can't understand how everything's gone downhill so fast. It's like there's a curse on my and Kat's marriage."

  "I don't know about a curse, but there have been a few tricky situations for you guys to get through. More so than what the average couple usually faces in the first few weeks after getting married."

  "That's an understatement." Corey's eyes stay glued to the floor. I see him mulling it all over in his head. Am I going to like the conclusion he eventually comes to? Or can I push him in the best direction?

  "Here," I say as I approach him with the correct mug. "Drink this. It'll make you feel better."

  Corey smiles at me the way I've only ever seen him grin moments before we kissed. I don't waste another second and take a step into his personal space. He lifts my coffee to me, and we swap them hand-in-hand as close to each other as two friends can. I gaze up into his pupils and lean toward his lips. I feel my body tremble as we both shut our eyes a split second before it finally happens.

  The honk of a horn out in the parking lot stops us both. Corey's eyes snap open and he draws his head back from mine. "Wait? This isn't right. What am I doing? I'm so sorry." He turns and takes three hurried steps away.

  I go to speak, but what words can I use without confessing my true feelings to him? If I do, he'll know all along that I've been up to something to get in the way of him and Katherine. "It's okay," I say. "We were both caught up in the moment. Don't worry about it."

  "No. I am worried about this. I was about to cheat on my wife with her best friend. What kind of husband am I? I have to speak to Kat and talk things out."

  I step toward him, my arm extended, but he shudders further back from me like I'm on fire. I want to say to him that he's the best husband anyone could hope for, more than Katherine deserves, but I freeze in place, powerless to move.

  "You need to go, Annette. I'm sorry for trying to kiss you."

  "No, please, don't push me away. We didn't even kiss. It meant nothing." The words come out of my mouth through a shaky voice filled with pain. Why can't I tell him the truth? Why can't I make him see who he should have been with all this time?

  "Please, Annette. I need to fix things with Katherine. It's my fault she did what she did at that bar. I drove her away when I should have realized we needed help."

  I'm too late. He is already falling back to her. Whatever she holds over him I can't stop. At least not while she's still alive. It's clear now what must happen. Part of me hoped it would never come to this, but here we are.

  My plan has failed, so it's time to push forward and do what it takes to see this through. Soon Katherine won't be around to get in my way.

  56

  Katherine

  As I reach the BBES parking lot, I receive a text from Corey. His message is longer than normal and says that we need to have a chat before school. He must wish to have a serious discussion as he doesn't want to meet in his classroom. I'm guessing he wants to avoid the possibility of us having a heated argument out in the open for the other teachers to see. It's fair enough, considering the way we have been speaking to one another lately.

  I walk Ava to her before-school care room feeling nervous the entire time. It hits me hard that I don't know what Corey will say. Is he going to break this marriage apart and end things before we even reach the one-month mark?

  How did we get to this point? It seems like only yesterday that we were enjoying ourselves in Nevada, taking in the millions of lights The Strip in Las Vegas offered. Now we are here, on the verge of ending it all, both of us unsure of the other. I thought I knew Corey. Sure, we've only been together for six-plus months, but I feel in that time that we'd discovered everything about each other.

  "How are you today, Ava?" asks one of the before-school teachers. Her name escapes me, but she is a young graduate eager to prove herself. I feel I may be losing my drive for this line of work, especially after missing out on the promotion because of Corey's jealousy. I still can't believe he'd do such a thing to get ahead, considering I'm his wife. Then again, most of what's happened since we got back from our honeymoon has been unbelievable.

  Ava and the young teacher chat away like they're old friends. I've zoned out their conversation with some self-absorbed thoughts I need to stop having. How will I ever cope at work if things don't go right at home? I barely made it through the years I had to deal with Peter. Fortunately, back then I didn't have a child to look after. Just a grown man who knew better.

  After dropping Ava off, I head out to meet Corey. He said he'd be having a coffee behind the old sports shed on the far side of the school. No one goes there anymore, so we can be alone and speak as loudly as we want.

  As I make the lengthy trip across the grounds, I feel the chill in the air grabbing hold of my body. I grasp at my middle and wrap both arms around my chest, but it does little to stop the cool ocean winds from cutting through my jacket. I accidentally grabbed the wrong one this morning like an idiot. It's not surprising, though, as I can't seem to focus on anything anymore.

  The cold reminds me of a better time when Corey and I first got together and were dating in secret, fearful that Annette might find out. We were taking a stroll along the beach, looking out at the mighty waves as they bashed in and around the degrading cliff stacks of Battery Beach. The walk was an impromptu idea we seemed to have at the same time.

  "Wow. It's colder out here than I realized," Corey said to me. He hadn't been in town that long and was still getting used to the difference in temperature here.

  "Yeah, it takes a while to adjust to the coast. Growing up here gives you an extra layer of skin."

  Corey looked away from me and out to the water. "What do you think Annette will be like when she finds out about us?"

  The mention of Annette's name had me on edge. "I expect at first she might be mad, but she'll understand that we never intended for this to happen. It just did."

  "I hope you're right. I'd hate to come between you two. You guys have been friends forever and I wouldn't want to ruin that."

  I grabbed Corey by the chin and turned him toward me. "I know Annette. She's not like that. And I also believe once she gets over this, she will accept you as a friend."

  Corey looked down the beach before us and nodded. "I only wish I had gotten to know you first. Then Annette and I would have never kissed that night. It must feel strange knowing that I made out with your best friend."

  "It's all in the past. Come on. We better get you back to the warmth of the café before you freeze to death."

  I don't understand why I'm thinking about Core
y and Annette. Maybe it's my guilt resurfacing. She has been nothing but amazing since Corey and I got together. I only ever saw the hurt in her eyes for a short moment before she realized there was never anything between her and Corey to begin with. I felt rotten for weeks, but I eventually accepted things as they were.

  Corey's proposal made me feel guilty all over again. When I told Annette, I didn't know what to expect from her. But she didn't show me even the tiniest hint of a problem. Instead, she welcomed it and wanted to be as big a part of our nuptials as possible. I can't imagine why I thought she'd be any different.

  I reach the old sports sheds and see no sign of Corey. I walk right around the back and sides of the shed and still don't find him anywhere. After checking the text from him twice, confusion sets in, so I make a call to him instead of trying to tap out a garbled message.

  "Where are you?" I say to myself. Looking at the time on my cell, I realize I need to be in the classroom in fifteen minutes or else I'll be late.

  Impatience takes control fast as his phone rings out. "What the hell?" Either he is running behind, or he told me the wrong location to meet. I try calling him again but, on this occasion, it goes straight to voicemail. "Yeah, I'm here at the meeting spot. Where are you? I have to get back soon if you don't show up."

  I hit the end call button and let my cell drop by my side in my hand. A long-winded sigh escapes me as I shake my head and mutter obscenities. "Where in hell is–?"

  A bright flash fills my eyes with pain, replacing my world with a high-pitched deafening tone.

  The light fades, gradually restoring my sight and sound.

  I take a moment to realize, but the unkempt grass surrounding the old sports shed is pressing against my face. I try to move but no muscles in my body seem to function.

  A darkness seeps in at the edges of my retinas, engulfing my vision. I feel the life fade from me as my eyelids scream to fall shut. A figure looms into my blurry view that can only belong to one person.

  Corey is standing over me.

  57

  Katherine

  My eyelids crack open, each feeling like they weigh a ton. I slowly blink until my vision focuses. My hearing soon follows and allows in the rhythmic pattern of what must be a heart rate monitor.

  I try to move, but my body feels like it's made of concrete. All I seem to be able to do is swivel my head. My brain throbs as if it's doubled in size.

  "She's waking up," says a familiar voice. The sound comes from a person I know so well, but I'm having a hard time remembering who they are. Then everything clicks. It's Corey.

  I push myself up and away from him as best I can, but his thick hands grab me by the shoulders.

  "Hey, it's okay. Try not to move. You're in the hospital."

  I don't speak. What are you supposed to say to a man who has attacked you? I stare at Corey and realize he has been by my side, waiting for me to wake up.

  "Honey? Do you understand what's happening?"

  Before I'm forced to answer him, a nurse comes into the room and takes over. She directs Corey to move back and take a seat in a chair that sits beside my bed while she checks over me.

  "Hello there. My name is Judy. Do you know where you are?"

  "In a hospital," I say with a croaky voice. I try to clear my throat but feel instant pain.

  "That's right. You're in the Providence Bayside Hospital. You've taken a blow to the back of the head. Can you tell me what day it is?"

  I think about the question for a moment and answer, "It's Thursday the fifth."

  The nurse looks down at me with pursed lips. "It's actually Friday, sorry. You've been unconscious for almost twenty-four hours.

  I try to sit up. "You can't be serious. I've been out of it for an entire day?"

  "Yes. Your husband brought you in here after he found you unconscious and bleeding on the ground at the school. Can you tell me what you remember?"

  The nurse inspects me while I shift my eyes from her to Corey, unsure what to answer. She checks my blood pressure and asks me again what I recall.

  What the hell am I supposed to say in front of Corey when I'm certain he was the one who hit me over the head?

  "I'm not sure what happened," I say, sounding less than convincing.

  The nurse must recognize the concern and reservation I have, talking about what's happened to me. Does she see me pleading with her to get Corey out of the room?

  "Mr. Grayson," the nurse says, turning to Corey. "Why don't you wait outside for a minute. I need to chat with your wife, if that's okay?"

  "I'm not going anywhere," Corey says. "Someone's attacked her. Why else would she have taken a blow so hard to the back of the head that it's left her unconscious for a day?"

  "Please, Mr. Grayson. I must speak with Katherine alone for a moment to sort this out."

  "Why alone? Anything you have to talk about you can say in front of me."

  The nurse presses a button on the wall. "I'm sure that's true, but when a patient comes in under these circumstances, we are required to hear what they have to say in private. It is standard protocol."

  "I don't give a damn what you're supposed to do. I told you, I'm not going anywhere until I know she is safe."

  Judy smiles at Corey with a weak mouth as her eyes shift left and right. She doesn't answer him until a few more nurses move into the space. One of them matches Corey's height and build.

  "What's this?"

  "Please, Mr. Grayson. Step out of the room for a minute."

  Corey stands from his chair and leans forward. "Wait, you can't seriously think I did this to her."

  "We're not accusing you of anything, Mr. Grayson. Again we're simply trying to obtain the facts from your wife without any outside influence."

  Corey flashes me a look. "I didn't do this to you," he says, shaking his head. "Don't let them convince you of anything. I would never do something like this. Do you understand me?"

  "Mr. Grayson," one of the other nurses says. "This way, please. Don't make us call security."

  Corey's eyes linger on me. After too long a time, they shift to the nurse. "Fine."

  The two extra nurses guide Corey out and away, closing the door behind them. I soon realize my bed is the only one in the room. Was I put in here intentionally? Did the staff know at some point that they would have to question me?

  Judy refocuses on me. "I'm sorry we had to do that, but you and I need to speak alone."

  I nod faster than is normal as I feel a layer of sweat sweep across my forehead. Am I really in a hospital bed? Am I really about to say what I know to be true beyond any doubt?

  "Katherine? Are you okay? Try to remember to breathe. And please, take your time answering my questions."

  I nod again, knowing Corey can't hear me, but it's hard not to imagine him listening in to this conversation.

  "Tell me what you think has happened."

  I close my eyes, not wanting to say what my mind is shouting at me.

  "It's okay," Judy says as she places a hand over mine on the bed. "Take as long as you need."

  "I don't even know where to begin, but I suspect my husband has attacked me."

  Judy subtly shakes her head. She has probably heard this a million times before but still has to show the same level of empathy. "What makes you think your husband has attacked you?"

  I feel the room closing in on me from all sides as my breathing becomes more and more rapid by the second. "We've been fighting a lot lately. Corey thinks I cheated on him a few days ago, but I swear I didn't. We spent the night apart to cool off after a huge fight. In the morning, at the school where we teach, he sent me a text asking to meet up before our classes started. He wanted to talk to me alone in private behind the school's old sports shed. I figured this was so no one would hear us arguing. The next thing I realized something had struck my skull so hard that I barely remember hitting the ground."

  Judy shakes her head again. "Did you see your attacker?"

  "No. I mean, I saw Co
rey stand over me moments before I fell unconscious. It had to have been him. No one else knew I was there."

  "I see," she says.

  "Please don't let him back in here. I'm so scared he'll find out what I know."

  "It's okay, Katherine. One of the other nurses is calling the police to let them take over from here. Your husband won't be allowed into the room."

  "Thank you. I'm sorry for causing all of this fuss."

  "Don't apologize at all. You have nothing to be apologetic for."

  I show my understanding while attempting to comprehend what is happening. I know Corey has done this to me, but what has brought him to this moment? Am I really that horrible a wife that he felt the need to beat me over the head? Was he trying to kill me, or send me a message?

  The nurse continues checking over me as I sob.

  "Hey, hey. Everything will be okay. The police are on their way. You're safe now, and no one can lay another hand on you."

  She must think Corey beats me, that I'm nothing but a downtrodden victim who's been hospitalized by her husband's actions. I never expected I'd be in this situation, ever. It seems impossible to me that I would be with someone who I believed had it in them to do such a thing to me. Not even Peter would stoop this low.

  The door to my room opens. I feel every one of my muscles tense as I look up to catch a nurse standing in the doorway.

  "It's okay, Katherine," the nurse says. "It's just your friend coming in. She's been waiting for a long time to see you."

  Annette walks in with both hands interlaced, her brows twisted in with concern.

  "Hi, Kat," Annette says.

  58

  Annette

  I leave the hospital, resisting an intense urge to laugh. Katherine believes beyond any doubt that Corey has attacked her. Soon, the police will arrive to take her statement. The responding officers will then ask Corey to come down to the station for questioning. He'll have no choice but to oblige them, but the detectives will struggle to prove he had anything to do with the assault.