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“I think you just made a dumb move, but I’d totally love that. It would be so cool.” She takes the bishop and adds it to her growing pile of my pieces.
I manage to get out of trouble, but I’m still on the back foot. We make another couple of moves each.
“I’ll talk to your dad and see if we can make a kid’s edition one day,” I finally take one of her pieces. “Had a good day?”
“Jessie and Kara are being moved to another school. They’re not coming back.”
“That’s great news. You glad you told me?”
“Yeah, sure I am. So glad.”
“Listen, Alicia. What would you think if I wasn’t around here so much?”
“Why? Are you going on vacation?”
“Maybe. You’d be okay, wouldn’t you?”
“I guess. When would you be back?”
I want to tell her the truth. I want to say to her I’ll be gone for good. I look into her eyes and see her smiling up at me. I can’t do it. Not right now. I make a move instead, and she looks down at the board.
“Mate,” she says, sliding her rook forward two spaces. “I win. It’s okay. I don’t mind if you don’t want to play again. I know grown-ups are busy all the time. You’ve probably got lots of things you need to go and do, don’t you?”
I smile at her, shoving all my feelings away for now. “How about we make it best of three?”
47
Bex
* * *
Hunter doesn’t come home all night. I try not to think about him. The next day, I get Alicia to school and then head to the office. When I get there, Ursula comes straight up to me in tears. “What’s going on?” I ask as people walk past carrying boxes, scowling in my direction. “What’s happening?”
“You didn’t know?” she asks, wiping her eyes as she stops in front of me. “How could you not know?”
“Know what?”
“Hunter’s fired us all. He’s shutting down the entire publication.”
“You’re kidding me, right? Tell me you’re kidding.”
“Letter delivered in person this morning by two huge guys in suits. Shutting down the whole office. Hunter’s orders.”
“You’re sure?”
“That’s what they told me, had the paperwork to back it up.”
“Signed by him?”
“Afraid so.”
“The son of a bitch. Where is he?”
“I thought you might know. No one’s seen him.”
I get my phone out and call him. Straight to voicemail. I snap down the line. “I can’t believe you’d do that after everything you promised me. You said you wouldn’t fire anyone else if I stayed married to you. You promised. You bastard. I guess you’ve proved who you are now. Consider the marriage over. You broke our deal. I’ll see you never.”
I hang up, shoving my phone into my pocket. Ursula is shaking her head at me. “What did you just do?”
