“Hi,” she says softly, like she’s scared I’ll lose it and smack her.
This girl could benefit from some acting lessons to switch things up, because once you realize it’s all a performance, it’s impossible not to see all the tells.
"Eat up," I say.
"Thanks, Julie." She sits down across from Asher and picks up her fork. "This looks really good."
"Thai Palace. Quick stop on the way home."
"Still. I appreciate it."
Sure she does. I sit down at the head of the table and pick up my fork. The pad thai tastes good, but I barely register it. My mind is elsewhere. Asher and Devon start talking about the ice cream shop they went to. I tune them out. He laughs at something she says, and she smiles at him like he just handed her the moon.
I eat in silence, watching them. The way they lean toward each other. The way Devon's eyes light up when he speaks. Like she's the only person in the room. In a way, she is. Because he sure as hell doesn't see me. And what I see of him, I don’t like.
"Julie?" Asher's voice pulls me back. "You okay?"
"Yeah, but I’m super tired."
"You should go to bed early tonight," Devon says. Her tone is sweet, concerned. "You've had a long couple of days."
I meet her eyes across the table. She's smiling, but there's something sharp underneath it. Something that says,I know exactly what I'm doing.
I smile back, just as sharp. Fuck her.
“You know what? You've got a point. I'm exhausted," I say.
Exhausted of both of their bullshit, for starters. We finish dinner in relative silence. Asher clears the plates while I load the dishwasher. Devon lingers at the table, scrolling through her phone.
"I'm going to head upstairs," I say when the kitchen is clean. "Goodnight."
"Night," Asher says. He's already pulling out his laptop, settling in at the kitchen table.
Devon glances up from her phone. "Sleep well."
It take all of my self-control not to roll my eyes as I turn and walk upstairs. In the bedroom, I close the door and sit on the edge of the bed. My phone is in my hand before I even realize I've picked it up. I open a new email and start typing.
Estate attorney. Contract law. Family law. Dean's gift. Five-year condition. What happens now that he's dead? Can I contest? What are my options?
I stare at the words for a long moment. Then I add one more line.
Contact Gregory Hale.
I send the email to an address Asher doesn’t know about and then delete it from the sent mail in the one that he does. Ever since the incident that happened when we went away and an order disappeared, I’ve been a lot more cautious. I kept telling myself I was being paranoid. I don’t think that anymore. In fact, I’ve changed my passwords twice since then.
Downstairs, I hear Asher laugh at something Devon said. The sound drifts up, faint but unmistakable. They’re having a lovely time. I lie back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. I’m done being the woman left at anniversary dinners and ambushed in therapy sessions. I’m over watching him be completely absorbed by Devon's neediness while I disappear.
This is over.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
ASHER
I'min a conference room with six other people when my phone vibrates on the table. I glance down at the screen and see a text from Devon.
At your dad's house. Now.
