Page 98 of How To Not Need You

Red hair. Of course it was Liv. Because apparently, whatever power there is has decided that things were going too smoothly.

Her message from that morning, buried between station alerts and everything else I barely looked at during the shift.

Left my charger at yours. Going to grab it and make sure your demon hasn’t eaten anything expensive.

Jesus Christ.

She told me exactly where she was going.

I just didn't put it together at the time.

She had a key I gave her less than twelve hours before she apparently stood on my front verandah and found my ex-wife answering the door in a towel.

Jesus Christ.

“Jake?”

I look up at Ben finally.

Ben has moved closer to me, his arms folded across his chest, watching me with concern. “What happened?”

I shove my phone into my pocket and reach for my bag. “I need to go.”

“Yeah, gathered that.”

I pull the zip closed harder than necessary. “Liv went to my house.”

“Okay.”

“Megan was there.”

There’s a pause. “Okaay.” He says with confusion laced through his voice.

“She answered the door.” I try to take a breath and steady my heartbeat to no avail.

Ben’s eyebrows draw together. “I feel like there’s an important piece of information you’re withholding.”

“She was wearing a towel.”

His face changes. The slow widening of his eyes reflecting that all the pieces are falling into place. “Oh, mate.”

“Yeah.”

“Why the fuck was Megan at your house in a towel?”

“She has no hot water.”

He stares at me.

I stare back before admitting. “That sounded much better in my head.”

“No, no.” He holds up a hand. “I understand the individual components. No hot water. Ex-wife requires shower. You possess shower. Very community-minded of you.”

“Fuck off.”

“I’m just trying to understand how you ended up accidentally staging the opening scene of a breakup.”

“I wasn't even there.”