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18. She Had a Visitor

GWEN

"Wait." Marnie's jaw dropped. "Toby actually fired Kayleigh?"

I gave her a nod but focussed on chopping the kale for our post-workout smoothies. Well, for me, it was post-workout. Marnie met me outside the yoga studio. But the way she'd collapsed exhausted onto the kitchen stool after walking up the hill back to my place, you'd think she'd done a workout, too.

"Gwen." She slapped the counter next to the chopping board to get my attention. "You cannot leave me hanging like that. When did this happen?"

"Tuesday."

"But that is"—she counted on her fingers—"four whole days ago!" When I didn't add more, she circled her hand, prompting me to keep spilling all the gossip Judy told me at the coffee shop. "And...?"

I wiped my suddenly sweaty palms down the front of my yoga pants. Everyone always assumed I was so calm. On the outside, I was zen, but on the inside, I'd always been a bit of a mess. Constantly on alert. Always overthinking. Toby used to curl beside me, gently stroking his fingers down my back and whispering silly stories to distract my mind so I could fall asleep. He wasn't here anymore. There was no one to help pause the thousands of thoughts colliding in my head.

Usually, I'd be busting to tell Marnie everything, but there was a knot in my stomach. My mind had had too long to grind over the story Judy told me that morning.

Something about it wasn't... right.

I sighed. Maybe Marnie could help me figure out the problem. "Judy said the whole day was an absolute shitshow. Toby came flying into her office just before the clinic opened. He said Kayleigh snuck into the staff room, locked the door, and wouldn't take no for an answer—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Marnie was practically on the edge of the stool. "What!"

I nodded. "Toby was really calm about it. Said she was finished, and if she didn't leave, they needed to call the cops. It was Kayleigh who caused a huge scene. Tears. Screaming. The whole works. Apparently, she was a complete mess."

"Did they end up needing to call the cops?"

"No. Judy said she didn't know how to handle it. You know what she's like. Tough as nails but not exactly the empathetic type. Fiona and one of the other girls helped Kayleigh clean up, and then they put her in a cab to go home because she wasn't in any state to drive. Judy's been keeping in touch. Doing a daily welfare check. Talked to her folks." I puffed out a breath. "She thinks Kayleigh's okay now... but..."

Marnie's hand reached for mine across the benchtop. She was expecting the worst. "Did Kayleigh accuse Toby of... you know... doing something?"

I shook my head. "That's the weirdest part. Judy said Kayleigh just kept asking what she did wrong. She didn't understand why Toby didn't want her anymore... Why he didn't..." I swallowed. I hated repeating the words. "She was confused why he didn't love her anymore."

Marnie scoffed. "It's not confusing if he never loved her in the first place." She shook her head, but her eyes still bulged from the news. "And Toby seriously hasn't mentioned it?"

"Not one word."

Marnie's eyebrows pinched together. "Okay. Weird. That man can talk under wet cement. He's usually so open about everything." She sat back, pausing to think for a moment. "Maybe Toby didn't want you worrying about it? He's already sorted it out, and he's probably still feeling guilty about opening up a whole can of hell in your life because of that woman."

"Yeah. Maybe. Or..." I sucked in a breath. I struggled to admit one of my deepest, darkest fears even to Marnie. "Maybe something was going on between them? The way she acted... That's extreme. Curling up in the corner of a room and having a breakdown isn't a normal reaction for a woman."