“Oh.” That was all I managed.
The kids were staring at me openly now.
Billie mouthed:What happened?
I couldn’t answer her. I felt stupid. Embarrassingly stupid. Of course there was someone else. Winnie hadn’t been sitting around yearning tragically for me between gardening sessions and lunch prep.
She had a whole life outside this house. A boyfriend. Partner. Whatever horrifying gothic, crypt-keeper relationship that man qualified as. Meanwhile, I’d been mentally picking out honeymoon destinations because she laughed at my jokes and kissed me in my kitchen.
Fantastic. Just truly excellent work from me.
“Conrad?”
I realized dimly she’d asked me something. “Sorry?”
“Would dinner be acceptable? At your house?”
Every instinct screamed no. Absolutely not.Protect your dignity, Conrad. Fake your death. Move to another country.
Instead, I heard myself say, “Yeah. Of course.”
“Thank you.”
Another silence. Neither of us seemed willing to hang up.
Finally, she spoke softly. “I’m sorry.”
Then the line disconnected. I stared at my phone, moving numbly to the couch.
Billie climbed onto my lap. “What happened?”
I rubbed both hands over my face slowly. “She wants to have dinner tonight.”
“That’s good,” Billie said.
“No,” CJ said quietly.
We all looked at him. His notebook sat abandoned beside him on the couch cushion. He sat completely rigid, a grim shadow erasing every trace of light from his face. “That’s not good.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
CJ looked at Bianca, then at Billie. “There’s vampire drama happening.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I’m serious.”
“CJ, there’s no such thing as?—”
“She used the setup line,” he interrupted. “Something’s wrong.”
Bianca nodded. “She sounded scared.”
My headache started returning instantly. “Guys?—”
“She’s in danger,” CJ said flatly. “Like real danger.”
Billie gasped dramatically. “I knew it.”
