Page 113 of Her Ex-Husband's Brother

[LENNON: I do. And I won’t risk your relationship with your son. ]

I slam the table with my hand, furious she’s putting herself in a position to make herself sick.

Another ping has my head going back to the screen.

[LENNON: they always pass. They will this time, too. We stay on mission.

I stare desolately at the screen.

[EIGHTHMONTH: What mission? Letting him control us forever?]

[LENNON: the statute of limitations on aggravated assault is 5 years.]

I sit back, heaving out a huge breath. So that’s it. This was the bastard’s plan all along when he invited me over to the mother of mychild’shouse. To set me up so he could blackmail his wife with leverage over me?—

I feel sick to my stomach. Like I want to wretch my entire guts out.

To have weaponized my son against me, and thenmeagainst her like that?—

[EIGHTHMONTH: Look out your window]

[LENNON: why? What did you do. Don’t tell me you did something nuts. We have to be careful!]

[EIGHTHMONTH: just do it]

I hurry to the window, eyes searching all the windows of hers that face mine. All the houses on this block have the exact same layout, but in reverse, so I’m really hoping?—

A curtain pulls back on the exact window I suspected was hers. She blinks against the light and lifts a hand to cover her eyes.

I slam the sign I prepared for the occasion to the window.

It reads:

[MISS YOU.]

The curtain yanks back and then she’s standing there, in pajamas, mouth dropped open, fifty feet away separated by just a chain-link fence.

And then the curtain swings back shut and another ping sounds at the computer.

[LENNON: oh my god. You’re right there]

[EIGHTHMONTH: I’m right here]

[LENNON: I want to run over there and jump in your arms. I’m crying I miss you so bad]

[EIGHTHMONTH: do it. We’ll get the hell out of here and figure everything out later.]

[EIGHTHMONTH: go for a walk. We’ll meet around the corner]

Long silence, then,That’s so fucked up.

LENNON: I think he’s set up cameras. He’ll catch me if I leave. He’ll know why.]

[EIGHTHMONTH: you’ve got to get away from him. I have a bad feeling]

Silence.

[EIGHTHMONTH: Lennon?]