The Second Time is Sweeter by Heatherly Bell

Author:Heatherly Bell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Heatherly Bell

CHAPTER 11

Riley never apologized to Nikki. He never had the time. The next week rushed by and Sophia saw her man off again. She and Nikki fell back into their usual routine and never talked about the awkward dinner again.

But a month later, Nikki didn’t show up for her shift at the diner and no one had heard from her. Billy Jack was upset, then worried when Nikki didn’t even respond to Sophia’s text messages or phone calls.

“Go see if she’s all right,” Billy Jack said and let Sophia off early.

Sophia drove to the other side of town where Nikki lived in a tiny one-bedroom condo. She knocked on apartment number 204. Two times. Four times. Five times. Texted that she was at the door and unless Nikki wanted to be reported as a missing person, she should answer it. She finally opened the door and let Sophia inside. The apartment was dark, all the blinds shut. A sink full of dirty dishes and pieces of glass and broken frames lay all over the floor.

“What happened in here?”

“I’m not coming to work. Ever again.”

“Why not?”

“David is dead.”

“W-what? No, he isn’t. Are you sure?”

“The stupid officers were here this morning to tell me. I cursed them out.”

Sophia couldn’t speak. No. Not David. Sweet David, gone. Both of their men were supposed to come home safe. Riley, then David. Sophia had it all worked out in her head. Someday they’d all be friends and laugh about how Riley didn’t like Nikki the first time he met her. Unsure what to do or how to help, Sophia chose something familiar. She wanted to help Nikki in some small way. She’d lost David, the love of her life. Without much thought and mostly on autopilot, Sophia made her way to the sink and turned on the faucet. Only later would she acknowledge that she’d been in a state of shock.

“Don’t! I want to keep it dirty in here.” Nikki wrestled a dish out of Sophia’s hands and slapped it to the ground where it shattered.

“Why did you do that?” Sophia bent to pick up the pieces.

Nikki hauled Sophia up by the shoulders and slapped her face. “Get out! Your husband is still alive only because he’s a Marine. You know what they are, don’t you? Killers! How do you like being married to a killer?”

“Don’t say that! Riley would never—”

Sophia stopped herself. Never what? Never kill someone? She’d never asked him, and they didn’t talk about it.

“David was a sweetheart. His biggest problem. The idiot couldn’t keep himself alive!” Nikki pushed Sophia, who almost fell to the floor.

Sophia had never been hit or pushed so much in her entire lifetime as in the last five minutes. She told herself it made sense that Nikki was lashing out at Sophia, someone who had been so much like her until this morning.

Now they were separated forever by a heartbreaking difference. Wife and widow.

“Stop hitting and talk to me!” she yelled, dodging a bowl.

“No!” Nikki kicked the kitchen table and threw another plate on the floor.

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