After cleaning up the dinner we didn’t eat, we sit side by side on the couch in the darkness.
“What if he divorces us?” Bennett asks, his voice raw.
My brain had not actually gone that far. Until now, I’ve simply believed that once we told Jack our story, we would figure out a way through. But divorce?
There is a very good chance he could leave us over this. Decide we aren’t worth the heartache.
Now there are tears in my eyes, too, and Bennett hugs me as I collapse forward on the couch.
That’s when the front door suddenly flies open. I hadn’t even heard the car turn into the driveway. It’s Jack, and his expression is as hard as stone.
“Jack!” Bennett flies up from the couch and runs toward him. “You’re home, I’m so glad?—”
“Get out of my way.”
Bennett freezes, then obediently backs up, making room for Jack to come into the house.
Jack wipes off his hooves first, pointedly ignoring us until he approaches the table.
“We’re going to have a dinner,” he says, slapping a hand down on it so loudly it surprises both of us. “The surrogate will come. The two of you will insist she come. And we’re going to sort all this bullshit out.”
He glares at Bennett and me, as if we might contradict him. Eagerly, I nod in agreement.
“Yes, whatever you want. I’m sure she’ll come.”
“She’d better.” Jack rises to his full height again, and even though he’s not as tall as I am, his presence is commanding and dangerous. “Find somewhere else to sleep.”
With that, he stalks past us toward the bedroom, goes inside, and slams the door closed behind him.
Bennett wilts. “He won’t even let us explain.”
“I think… there’s nothing to explain.” I sigh as I sit down at the table. “What he saw is what it is. What can we possibly say?”
“Nothing.” Bennett sinks into the couch. “I guess you’re right. Fuck, we had better find a really good way to apologize.”
“At least he’s giving us dinner, whatever the plan is.” Though it doesn’t sound good if he wants Bree there.
I sit down beside Bennett, and we both stare into the dark television screen until he says, “I’m sleeping on the pull-out in the office. You get the couch.”
With that, he climbs to his feet and retreats. I fall onto the couch, close my eyes, and wish I’d gone about all this very differently.
Twelve
Bree
Well, that was the worst disaster in history.
How the hell did he find my house? That’s the most bizarre part, how Jack had simply stormed in here, all dark and broody, like he’d had a beacon on Bennett and Mangelli.
Hmm. Maybe he has them geo-tagged.
I’d hit the kill button on the stream the moment Jack appeared, but enough got through that once they’d all left, I came back to find the chat going berserk.
I flip on the cam.
“Sorry for the interruption, guys,” I say, waving apologetically. “Rick and Todd have both decided to go, and I’m calling it for the night.”
The chat fills with thumbs down and crying emojis. Only GingerWatchman says, good riddance.
