[Georgia 03] Fallen

told him. Why hadn’t she told him?
    “She colors her hair. You know that, right? Those highlights aren’t natural.”
    “What did you …?”
    “I’m just letting you know she’s not the perfect little angel you think she is.”
    Will forced the words out of his mouth. “What did you say to her?”
    “I asked her why she was fucking my husband.”
    His heart stopped. This was the reason Sara had been crying yesterday afternoon. This explained her initial coldness when he showed up at her house last night. Will’s heart clenched like a vise was around it. “You are not allowed to talk to her ever again.”
    “You’re trying to protect her?” She laughed. “Jesus, Will. That’s hilarious considering I’m trying to protect you.”
    “You don’t—”
    “She’s got a thing for cops. You know that, right?” She shook her head at his stupidity. “I looked into her husband. He was quite a catch. Fucked anything that moved.”
    “Like you.”
    “Oh, come on. Try harder than that, baby.”
    “I don’t want to try.” He finally said the words that he’d been thinking for the last year. “I just want it over. I want you out of my life.”
    She laughed in his face. “I am your life.”
    Will stared at her. She was smiling. Her eyes practically glowed. Why was it that she only ever seemed happy when she was trying to hurt him? “I can’t do this anymore.”
    “His name was Jeffrey. Did you know that?” Will didn’t answer. Of course he knew Sara’s husband’s name. “He was smart. Went to college—a real one, not some correspondence school where they charge extra to mail your diploma. He ran a whole police department. They were so fucking in love that she looks cross-eyed in the pictures.” Angie grabbed her purse out of the chair. “You wanna see them? They were in the newspaper in that shithole town every other week. They did a fucking collage on the front page when he died.”
    “Please, just go.”
    Angie dropped her purse. “Does she know you’re stupid?”
    He held his tongue between his front teeth.
    “Oh, of course she does.” She almost sounded relieved. “That explains it. She feels sorry for you. Poor little Willy can’t read.”
    He shook his head.
    “Let me tell you something, Wilbur. You’re not a great catch. You’re not handsome. You’re not smart. You’re not even average. And you’re sure as hell not good in the sack.”
    She had said this so many times before that the words no longer had meaning. “Is there a point to this?”
    “I’m trying to keep you from getting hurt. That’s the point.”
    He looked down at the floor. “Don’t do this, Angie. Just this one time—don’t do it.”
    “Do what? Tell you the truth? Because you’ve obviously got your head so far up your ass that you can’t see what’s going on here.” She put her face inches from his. “Don’t you know that every time she kisses you, every time she touches you or fucks you, or holds you, she’s thinking about him?” She paused as if she expected an answer. “You’re just a replacement, Will. You’re just there until somebody better comes along. Another doctor. A lawyer. Someone who can read a newspaper without his lips getting tired.”
    Will felt his throat tighten. “You don’t know anything.”
    “I know people. I know women. I know them a hell of a lot better than you.”
    “I’m sure you do.”
    “Damn right I do. And I know you best of all.” She paused to survey the damage. Obviously, it wasn’t enough. “You’re forgetting I was there, baby. Every visiting day, every adoption rally, there you were standing in front of that mirror combing your hair, checking your clothes, primping yourself up so that some mommy and daddy might see you and take you home with them.” She started shaking her head. “But they never did, did they? No one ever took you home. No one ever wanted you. And you know why?”
    He couldn’t breathe in. His lungs started to ache.
    “Because there’s something about you, Will. Something wrong. Something off. It makes people’s skin crawl. It makes them want to get as far away from you as they can.”
    “Just stop. All right? Stop it.”
    “Stop what? Pointing out the obvious? What do you see happening with her? You’re gonna get married and have babies and live some kind of normal life?” She laughed as if this was the most ludicrous thing she’d ever heard. “You ever consider the fact that you like what we have?”
    He