Chapter Five
I looked around. I was alone; Diesel was gone. The sun was shining, and I was surprised. The last thing I remembered was nighttime. Older Steph and her lying, cheating asshole of a husband had just put their kids to bed, and he had done nothing except denigrate her all night. I can't believe I ever thought Joe was the right man for me. Before I could go too far down the pity party rabbit hole where my thoughts were taking me, the driver's door opened, and Diesel got into the car.
"Feeling better, Sunshine?"
"Diesel? What happened? It's tomorrow, right?"
He nodded as he took my hand. "Yeah. You cried yourself to sleep, and I couldn't wake you again. I laid you down on the couch in the house, and we left this morning before they woke up."
"Is that really what I have to look forward to if I choose to marry Morelli? I thought he loved me."
Diesel sighed. "He does love you, as much as he can, anyway. But you two are not good together, and that's part of why I wanted to show you your future. I don't want you to become an alcoholic who's miserable with her life, like your mother."
"I'm an alcoholic? How? Old Stephanie didn't seem to swap out her iced tea with whiskey during dinner, not that I noticed, anyway."
Diesel smiled. "Old Stephanie?"
"Older, anyway." I shrugged. "That's what I was calling her in my head—Older Stephanie."
Diesel chuckled and ruffled my hair. "Older Stephanie's drink of choice is vodka when no one is home during the day. It hasn't gotten bad yet, but it's headed in that direction if left unchecked."
"Do you know why my hair is blonde and straight in the future?" I asked. I had my suspicions, considering what I knew about Joe's affair partner and my complete lack of desire to turn my hair blonde up until now. The straightened part didn't seem so bad, especially if my hair was easier to manage that way, but it seemed like as much work as my curly hair was, just in a different direction.
"That was at your husband's request," Diesel confirmed.
"Thought so." I sighed and ran my hands over my face. "So, what now? Do I see what it'd be like if I married Ranger?"
"Do you need to? Or is what your life would be like if you married Joe Morelli enough?" he asked.
I thought about it for a moment. "I'd like to see the other path if possible. After all, it's possible neither of my current choices are right, and only by seeing what would happen if I married Ranger will I realize that."
Diesel nodded. "As you wish."