From Bad to Worse by Gin Vane

Author:Gin Vane [Vane, Gin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LGBTQIA Romance Fiction
Publisher: Totally Entwined Group
Published: 2022-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

* * * *

He was only out a few seconds. A brief respite in the void. As he came to, Colt’s face was pressed against cold kitchen tile. He wished the floor would swallow him whole.

Ev…I’m so sorry…

“What did I just walk in on here, Rach? Gonna need you to be clear on that for me.”

Colt heard the question Everett was really asking, but even through his ringing skull, he knew it was never a card she’d play. Rachael made every choice tonight to bring them to this conclusion, whether she thought her husband would be stopping by or not.

“You know what it was, Everett.”

She sounded stronger than she had since that parking lot three years ago.

“How could…how could you—”

“How could I? How’s your girlfriend tonight? Decide to drop by the wife’s to unwind for once?”

Colt blinked in and out of consciousness, but he heard Rachael’s bare feet padding over tile, a bottle lifted and set. “Guess I should be impressed you got the right brand. This time.”

“Rach, stop…just, what’s goin’—”

Buzz-buzz. Buzz-buzz.

The vibrating chime of Everett’s phone echoed in the kitchen. The smell of lasagna hung thick in the air, and it should’ve been a homey scent, comforting and fond, but Colt tasted cinders and gasoline—smelled fumes just as oppressive.

He heard a rustle of fabric, coins in a pocket, then Ev’s brittle voice demanded, “What?”

From where Colt laid on the floor, he could see the change in how Everett held himself, how the tension shifted from the rage of attack to the ticks and flexes of attempted control, some outside force being brought to bear on what would otherwise be a goddamn fistfight.

“Yeah. He’s with me. On our way.”

The call ended and the whole room waited, silent as a budding storm. Everett didn’t look at him when he said, “Mary’s on the move. Stapes will text you the address.”

“Ev, listen—”

“Do not. Fucking. Speak to me.”

Everett kept his eyes on Rachael as Colt got to his feet behind them both. The sound of him finally doing up his zip shook the house with each metallic stutter, but there wasn’t any good alternative. Ev blew a sigh from his mouth too much like hyperventilation, wrapped a hand around the bottle he’d brought for nothing and walked out his own front door.

Rachael’s look of shock was too complete to be fabricated, but that was a small consolation. Colt could hardly stand to look at her tear-stained, kiss-rough face, knowing all he’d done to help bring them to this conclusion. How’d he let this—

Smash.

The melodic clatter of breaking glass pulled both their eyes to the driveway. Rachael’s instinct was the same as his and they both moved to the door—but Colt wasn’t sure that was a good idea. The kind of anger, betrayal, and hurt rolling off Everett? Wasn’t anything logical.

“Stay here,” Colt told her. “And maybe…lock the door.”

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