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“I suppose so.”
“What do you know of karma, Amy?”
“Lately it feels like a lot.”
He shakes his head and then glances over his shoulder, giving me the side eye. “You know nothing,” he tells me. “But I have a feeling that will change.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You paid to have a man assaulted. Possibly worse. And you were right. I do know the law. I want you in my life. I want to marry you and have a family with you— the way we always planned. I could love your girls.”
> He gestures toward the house. “I could make you happy. You should really think it over. If you’re smart, I mean, you will.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re mistaken.” My eyes narrow. “And I haven’t paid you anything.”
His face breaks out into a grin. “Not yet. But remember? You put it in writing.” He taunts me with air quotes, tips his head and says, “I can pay.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
The thought hits me hard and fast. And then they keep coming. What if I am wrong? What if it wasn’t Mooney who placed the camera in my home? What if it was Alex? He’d known I was in the hospital with Blair. He could have done it then. But why? Had he intended on blackmailing me all along?
Swallowing the lump of uncertainty rising in my throat, I feel like I’m going to be sick when I see Greg’s name light up my screen. He doesn’t bother with pleasantries. “How much longer until you’re home?”
“About twenty minutes. How’s Naomi?”
“Fine. But she’s thrown up twice. Between that and keeping Blair occupied, it feels like I’m running an infirmary.”
“Still no fever?”
“I didn’t check. But she doesn’t feel hot.”
“Maybe it’s a stomach flu.”
“Maybe it’s too many casseroles.”
“I kind of feel the same way.”
“Sick?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. My stomach’s uneasy. Has been all day.”
“Well, I hope not too uneasy, because the sitter is on her way.”
“What? Why?”
“I thought it would be good to get away and talk. And there’s something I want to show you.”
“Does it have to be today? I’m not sure Lucy can handle the both of them.”
There’s silence on the other end of the line, followed by a small commotion. God, what now? “Blair is calling me,” he huffs. “I gotta go. And don’t worry—they’ll be fine. We won’t be gone long.”
When I arrive home, I pull in the driveway and put the car in park. Sweat beads at my hairline as I stare at the house. Everything I love is just beyond those walls, and I’ve gone and put it all at risk.
I’m not sure if I’m actually getting sick, or if the nausea is just a response to knowing I’m going to have to break the news about Alex to Greg. Killing the ignition, I hesitate to unbuckle, unable to muster the energy to get out and face the situation. If Alex is serious, I could lose everything. I could face prison time. I lean forward, resting my head against the steering wheel. I don’t know how long I’m there in that position, only that I’m jarred back to reality by a knock at the window.
When I look up, the neighbor kid has his nose pressed to the glass, his breath making fog on the glass. What the fuck?
As he raises his fist to knock again, I press the button to slide the window down. He squints into the sunlight, eventually cupping his hand over his eyes so that he can see me. Finally, he drops his hand and leans into the car. He braces himself against the door, his breath coming out in quick gasps. “I thought you were dead.”
