What Lovers Do

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

SOPHIE

I have a good pregnancy hormone cry on the way home after leaving Shep’s place. When I open the door, I don’t hear Jimmy. I need to pick up Cersei from my sister’s house, but first, I need to gain a little more composure.

When I reach my bedroom, passing all the other rooms in the house, I realize Jimmy is not here.

Jimmy. Is. Not. Here.

“Jimmy?” I turn on his bedroom light and then the bathroom light. I don’t have any messages from him, and he didn’t leave a note. But his belongings are still here.

I don’t even think. What’s there to think about? My attorney said I could change the locks if he ever leaves. And you better believe I’ve been prepared for this day. I have new deadbolts in my garage along with the tools I’ll need to swap them out.

If he wants to take me to court over a new driveway, that’s fine. I’ll counter sue for destruction of property. But he’s not living under this roof another day.

My shaky hands hustle to get the locks swapped out. After the new locks are secured, I change the garage door code and head straight to Jimmy’s bedroom—my bedroom. All of the rooms are mine.

One armful after another, I carry his stuff to the end of my driveway, where he will either take it or I’ll have it hauled off to the landfill.

When the door with the new lock is shut and latched behind me, I exhale a long breath. Today, I lost two men in my life. Is this Karma? Did I have to lose one to rid my life of the other?

And where is Jimmy?

“Not my circus. Not my monkey,” I repeat several times. In the morning, I’ll call a security company and arrange for cameras and an alarm to be installed. If Jimmy comes into my house again, it will be breaking and entering. That’s the only way he’s stepping foot in here again.

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I call Chloe.

“You home?”

“Yes,” I say.

“How are Dad and Taryn?”

“Good. They want to come for a visit. I managed to hold them off until next month.”

Hmm … will that still happen if we’re not going to Sedona with Shep?

“Thank God. We can tell them together.”

“Yeah.”

“How are you feeling? Did you quit cleansing?”

I roll my eyes. “Yes. No more cleansing. I’m uh …”

I’m sad. So very sad.

“Sophie? Is everything okay?”

“I’m good. Really. I’ll be over in a bit to get Cersei.”

“Okay. See you soon.”

I get Cersei and make it home and still no sign of Jimmy. It should be a relief, but he’ll return. I’d rather just get that over with now. He can have his little tantrum and take his stuff to a hotel or move to Tennessee. Or I can call the police if he gets too irate.

Just when I give up on him coming back, assuming—hoping—he’s with someone else, the doorbell rings.

I glance out the window. It’s him. The door handle rattles as he tries to open the door.

“Soph …” he says in an agonizing tone. “My key doesn’t work. Open the door.”

I stand right next to the door, hugging my arms to myself. He had to see his stuff at the end of the driveway. He knows what’s happening. “Go away, Jimmy. You no longer live here. I changed the locks. If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police.”

“Soph …” He sounds like he’s in pain, a little broken.

Now he knows what he’s done to me for weeks and weeks. Now he knows what it feels like to be worn down, mistreated, and helpless.

“It’s over, Jimmy. I’m going to bed. Go away.”

“Soph … m-my … my mom … d-died.”

I stop after taking several steps away from the door. Nope. I’m not falling for that. He just wants me to open the door. I can’t do that again. I have a baby inside of me. That’s my priority. Period.

And I already miss my friend, Shep. I want to crawl into bed and forget about so much of this day.

“Sophie …” he cries. An actual cry.

I grimace. “You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying! S-she died … a h-heart attack … Soph … s-she’s gone …”

Nope. Nope. Nope.

I skitter to the bedroom and close the door. He sounds like an injured animal. I open my suitcase and start unpacking. Then I take a shower and get ready for bed. Before I call it a night, I glance out front. Jimmy’s on his side, curled into a ball, shaking, sobbing.

No. I can’t. It was the last straw ten straws ago. Every time I think I have the courage to rid Jimmy from my life, something happens in his life, and I cave.

No more caving.

I shut off all the lights and crawl into bed. It takes me forever to get to sleep, but eventually, I do. Waking early in the morning, too early, I peek out the window.