Until I Really Do

Chapter Seventeen

The warm afternoon air moistened Sharon's skin, forcing her to tighten her hold on her scarf. It was a poor time to go on a walk and she was certainly in no mood for one, but Sharon could not decline this particular excursion. She had agreed to it for reasons ranging from her desperation to keep Gretchen as far away from Matthew, to her frustration at the knowledge that she could never truly separate the two. She remembered clearly the dull pain in her chest as she watched them kiss, and the stab of anger she had felt when she walked down to breakfast to find Gretchen perched on a seat beside Matthew. She had known then that they were meant for each other and the thought had done nothing but heighten her anger and desperation.

Sharon did not dare admit to it out loud, but she could only attribute her feelings to jealousy. Perhaps the part of her that had been willing to concede to staying married to Matthew was the part that suddenly felt betrayed by his actions?

She shook her head; she didn't know. Nothing made sense to her anymore and the more she walked —the angry sun beating down on their heads— the more convinced she was that agreeing to taking a walk at such a dreadful time of the day and with such a dreadful human being like Gretchen, had been a terrible mistake.

Pausing in her tracks on the sandy paths, Sharon turned to Gretchen. "Perhaps we must do this another time? The weather is dreadful and I'm just not feeling well."

"Oh?" Gretchen raised a brow in question. "You seemed fine this morning."

"I was,"

"Then you're fine now. It's only been a few minutes and unless you're lying, I don't suppose much could have changed since this morning."

"How dare you call me a liar?!" Sharon half screeched, angered by the woman before her. She truly did not believe herself capable of enduring Gretchen's presence for much longer.

"I did no such thing!" Gretchen sounded indignation. "I simply pointed out the impossibility in the change of the status of your health given the short space of time that has passed. I beg your pardon, Sharon, but your unwillingness to show me around the property like you so willingly volunteered to do before everybody at breakfast this morning, comes as an unpleasant surprise to me. I don't suppose Matthew would be able to show me around now."

Sharon rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Maybe you should take the walk yourself. You're gifted with two stable legs and are not in need of two extra legs, unless of course your plan is to have Matthew carry you around the property."

"I suppose this has been about Matt all along." She watched her intently. "Perhaps you're threatened by my presence here?"

"Perhaps you're delusional." Sharon spat, irritated.

"Am I? Do not act like your volunteering to come on a walk with me was an act of kindness, Sharon, I know we all saw clearly who it was you were trying to keep me away from."

"And do not act like you didn't just kiss my husband a few hours ago!" Suddenly, the urge to reach out and grab the atrocious woman by her ridiculously red hair washed over Sharon.

Gretchen's lips fell open, her eyelids widening slightly with shock. Running her tongue over her bottom lip, she straightened. "Matt kissed me, alright? It is not my fault that he unable and unwilling to get over me!"

Her words were like a slap to Sharon's face. Fighting to keep her emotions in check, Sharon said, "I will excuse myself right away."