Page 234 - It Ends with Us

I don’t kno w why I ha ve an urge to give hi m the na ked truth.

Maybe I just want to see ho w someo ne will rea ct when they find out
my own hu sband did thi s to me.
“My hu sband happened . We got int o a fig ht two ni ght s ago and he
hea d-butted me. Atlas took me to the em erg enc y room. They gave me
six stitches and told me I was preg na nt . Now I’m hi ding out here unt il
I fig ure out wha t to do.”

Poor Darin is frozen, ha lfway bet ween stand ing and sitting . He ha s
no idea ho w to res pond to tha t. Based on the look on hi s face, I thi nk
he’s conv inc ed I’m crazy.
Brad pulls out hi s cha ir and takes a sea t, point ing at me. “You
sho uld get some Rodan and Fiel ds. The amp roller works wond ers for
scarri ng .”
I immed iatel y laugh at hi s rand om res pons e. Someho w.

“Jes us, Brad!” Darin says, fina lly sink ing int o hi s sea t. “You’re worse
tha n your wife with thi s direc t sales shi t. You’re like a walking
inf omerc ial.”
Brad raises hi s ha nd s in def ens e. “Wha t?” he says inno cent ly. “I’m
no t trying to sel l her any thi ng , I’m bei ng ho nes t. The stuff works.
You’d kno w tha t if you’d use it on your damn acne. ”

“Screw you,” Darin says.
“It’s like you’re trying to be a perp et ual teena ger,” Brad mutters .
“Acne isn’t cool when you’re thi rty.”
Brad pulls out the cha ir nex t to hi m whi le Darin beg ins shu ffling a
dec k of cards. “Have a sea t, Lily. One of our friend s dec ided to be an
idiot and get marri ed last wee k, and no w hi s wife won’t let hi m come
to poker ni ght any more. You can be hi s fil l-in unt il he get s a divorce. ”

I ha d ev er y int ent ion of hi ding out in my room toni ght , but thes e
two make it ha rd to walk away. I take a sea t nex t to Brad and rea ch
across the table. “Hand me those, ” I say to Darin. He’s shu ffling the
cards like a one- armed inf ant .
He raises an ey eb row and pushes the dec k of cards across the table.
I don’t kno w much about card games , but I can shu ffle cards like a

pro.
I sep arate the cards int o two piles and scoot them toget her,
pres sing my thu mbs to the end s, watchi ng as they bea utifully
int ert wine. Darin and Brad are staring at the dec k of cards, when