Part 31 (1/2)
”What a psychopath,” Liddy snapped. ”I got off lucky.”
”Abuse is abuse. Don't compare. It all does the same thing.”
Marian could tell that Liddy was forcing the smile. ”You have done time in therapy, haven't you?”
”Too much. I should have gone back for a booster shot, I think.”
She rubbed her eyes. ”Will I ever get her out of my life?”
”Yes. I will, too.” Liddy refilled their coffee cups.
”She really said I was perfect? That's bizarre.”
”I never thought I would ever live up to Mary Sue. Mary Sue was smart, knew what she wanted from life, worked hard, was great in bed. Actually, all of that is true.”
”Hah.”
”It is,” Liddy insisted.
”So what was her reason for leaving Mary Sue the Saint?”
”She fell in love with her next-door neighbor and broke Robyn's heart.”
Marian felt the color draining out of her face. Had Robyn known?
”She used Mary Sue to put me down, and to excuse her own s.h.i.+t.
Mary Sue broke her heart so Robyn got to drink a little too much, and take it out on me sometimes.”
Marian remembered to exhale. Had she brought Robyn's cruelty on herself? Had Robyn really snapped because she'd guessed Marian was in love with someone else?
192.
Liddy was chattering, but Marian couldn't take any of it in. The phone rang and she went to answer it, glad of the interruption. It was Ellie, who sounded as if she'd been crying.
Marian asked urgently, ”Are you okay?”
”No . . . no, not okay.”
”Where are you?”
”Um, using the pay phone at Hy-Vee.”
”Do you want me to come get you?”
”No, I can drive. I'll be there in a few minutes.”
Dazed, Marian stood with her hand on the phone until Liddy asked, ”Is something wrong?”
”Ellie.” She turned to face Liddy and then saw that her answering machine was flas.h.i.+ng with messages. She pressed on and listened to request after request from Ellie for her to call. ”Oh, h.e.l.l, she's been trying to get me all night.”
”Should I go?”
”I don't want you to,” Marian said. ”But I don't know what to expect and-”
”I'll go. She's your best friend, right?”
Marian nodded. ”And she's been there for me since we were in high school together.”
”I'll go. I need to work.” Liddy smiled nervously.
”Can I see you tonight? Call you later?”
The smile turned brilliant. ”Yeah. It would probably help if you had my number.”
Marian grinned and felt lightheaded. The inner voices arguing about Robyn were still at it, but she'd ignore them for now. She wrote her own number down for Liddy, and taped Liddy's to the refrigerator. ”I will call.”
”Oh, I just remembered. I have my first official cla.s.s tonight at the dojo.”
”Then maybe I can see you after.”
Liddy's voice fell to a whisper. ”I'd like that.”
Tempted to push Liddy onto the counter and enjoy her body again, Marian made herself instead put her hands in her pockets.
193.
Robyn wasn't going to ruin more of her life. Robyn wouldn't prevent her from touching Liddy again. But right now Ellie needed her.
She walked Liddy to her car and risked a kiss good-bye. Time ceased to have all meaning as Liddy's mouth melted into hers. They were still making out when Ellie pulled up to the curb.
”Time for me to go.” Liddy patted Marian on the chest. ”If you don't call me, I won't forgive you. And I'll call you to say so.”
Marian was still chuckling as she waved a last good-bye. She drew a long conscious breath after that, then turned to Ellie, who had finally gotten out of her car.
She did a double-take. Ellie's face was streaked with tears and she was wearing the clothes she'd had on yesterday morning. ”Oh, honey, what is it?” She hurried down the driveway to pull Ellie into her arms.
”I slept in the car. I didn't know what to do. You weren't home.
You were with her, weren't you?”
”Yes-is that what this is about?” She drew Ellie toward the house.
”No, no. Not that. Sandy-Sandy's left me. For good.”
Confused, Marian said, ”But . . . you'd already broken up.”
”She's moving out. I didn't realize what was happening. I'm such a fool!”
They stood in the foyer while Ellie cried into Marian's shoulder.