Part 76 (2/2)

”Bev, I was hoping you'd come down and have some tea.”

She could smell the liquor. It turned her stomach. How could he sit

and drink and scribble his music? She took her hand from his and laid

it in her lap. ”I don't want any tea.”

”I have some news. P.M.”s gotten himself mained.”

She looked at him then, a flick of a disinterested glance.

”He was hoping we'd come out for a short while. He'd like to show off

his house at the beach and his chesty new wife.”

”I'll never go back there.” There was such quick, angry violence in her

voice, he nearly stepped back. But it wasn't emotion that stunned him

nearly so much as the look in her eyes when they met his. Loathing.

”What do you want from me?” he demanded. lie bent close, gripping both

arms of the rocker. ”What the h.e.l.l do you want?”

”Just leave me alone.”

”I have left you alone. I've left you alone to sit in here hour after

hour. I've left you alone when I've needed so badly just to hold on to

you. And at night, I've left you alone when I've waited for you to turn

to me. Just once to turn to me. G.o.dd.a.m.n you, Bev, he was mine, too.”

She said nothing, but the tears began. When he reached for her, she

jerked away. ”Don't touch me. I can't bear it.” When he backed off,

she slipped out of the chair to go to the crib.

”You can't bear me to touch you,” he began as his fury built. ”You

can't stand me to took at you, or speak to you. Hour after hour, day

after day, you sit in here as if you're the only one who hurts. It's

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