Page 44 of The Bad Husband

“Finally,” I murmur to myself, ready to collect my bag and make myself scarce.

Her wearing that skimpy pajama set while talking to him doesn’t sit well with me, but that’s a topic for another day.

As much as I’d like to gather more information and gauge the danger I am in, being subjected to this woman’s scrutiny is exhausting. It’s equally bothersome to suspect he plays a role in this, and he does it for the money.

We’re all doing it for the money in the end.

Didn’t he say that to me?

I shift in my seat to slide off when his footsteps echo in the foyer.

She’s talking. He’s listening. Unfortunately, I can’t make out her words.

I panic for a moment.

What if she’s asking him about me, and he’s telling her something different than what I’d said to her and I get in trouble?

What if they’re not in this together after all?

I become one with my seat.

At the last moment, I run a hand through my hair, and sweep my fingers below my eyes, trying to remove any traces of mascara.

My lipstick is long gone.

I bite my lip and pinch my cheeks for a little color, although most of the light comes from the pool and is blue, so it doesn’t do me any favors.

I must look like a ghost.

The dangling lights in the kitchen spread a faint glow around the modernly decorated space and make the counters look good but not me.

I see my reflection in a mirror.

It’s bad.

It’s also… too bad.

He looms in the doorframe, and I swiftly assume a different position in my seat.

Relaxed, I lean against the kitchen island with a glass of water in front of me and an elbow on the counter.

“Good evening, Mr West,” I say. “Thank you again for offering me a ride home.”

His eyes meet mine for a second.

She can’t see his face. He also blocks her view of me and what goes on between us.

His expression glints like a glacier in the moonlight.

Beautiful, breathtaking, and filled with secrets.

He stares at me as if we share a secret, which we do, and the person behind him must remain unaware of it.

As unsettling as that is, I like this version of our truth more than him plotting against me.

Still, it’s not enough to categorically establish that something is going on between us, and there’s a reason for that.

Despite all that, I need to follow this man’s lead for now.