“It happened, that’s all. It just happened.”
“You know what you’re saying?”
He nodded again.
Bella said, “Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe I’m hearing things.” She stood up. She sat down. She stood up again. She began to walk back and forth along the length of the bed. Finally she stopped, and with both hands she gripped the bedpost, as though to steady herself. Then, biting her lip, her eyes shut tightly, she made a sound as though she were feeling intense physical pain.
He rubbed his knuckles across his brow. He wondered what caused him to stay in this room when there was every reason to walk out.
“Can’t believe it,” Bella said aloud to herself. “It just ain’t possible.” And then her tone changed, there was pleading in her voice. “Didja know what you were doing? You couldn’t have known. After all, you were drunk.”
“No,” he said gruffly. “I got drunk later.”
“With her?”
“Yeah,” he said. “We were celebrating.”
“Where?” Her hands tightened on the bedpost.