Chapter 1 - I KNEW BEFORE HE BOARDED THE FLIGHT HOME
“How long have you known?”
Adam’s voice was barely above a whisper.
I shifted Nell against my chest.
“Long enough.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting while I’m holding her.”
His eyes moved toward Elise.
She stood near the kitchen doorway with her arms crossed.
Adam looked embarrassed.
Good.
For three weeks, I had been the embarrassed one.
The wife explaining why her husband was “away on business” while neighbors brought casseroles and Elise drove me to urgent care because my incision had become red and I was running a fever.
Adam lowered his voice.
“Marina, Savannah was on the trip because she works with—”
“I know where she works.”
His face changed.
I continued.
“I know the conference ended on the third day.”
Silence.
“I know your return flight was booked for that Friday.”
His mouth opened.
“I know you canceled it.”
“Marina—”
“And I know you stayed eighteen more days.”
Elise looked at Adam with visible disgust.
He stared at me.
“How?”
“Your airline account is still connected to our family email.”
His eyes closed.
There it was.
Not guilt first.
Recognition.
He had forgotten something.
“The hotel receipts were harder,” I said.
“Those came from your rewards account.”
He rubbed his forehead.
“You went through my accounts?”
“Our accounts.”
“I wasn’t hiding money.”
“That is an interesting defense considering I accused you of sleeping with another woman.”
He flinched.
Then Nell stirred.
I looked down immediately.
Adam watched me soothe her.
Something in his face broke.
“I’m sorry.”
“For which part?”
He said nothing.
Exactly.
Then I told him the thing I had not planned to reveal yet.
“I also know about the apartment.”
His entire body went still.
Elise turned toward me.
“What apartment?”
Adam looked suddenly terrified.
Not ashamed.
Terrified.
I reached into the folder on the side table.
The document had arrived two days earlier.
A lease application.
Luxury two-bedroom apartment.
Move-in date:
Next month.
Applicants:
ADAM BENNETT.
SAVANNAH COLE.
He stared at the page.
“Where did you get that?”
I almost laughed.
“You keep asking how I found things instead of explaining why they exist.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Then what is it?”
He looked toward Nell.
Then at Elise.
Then back at me.
Finally:
“Savannah needed a place.”
“So you signed a lease with her?”
“As guarantor.”
“Your name is listed as co-tenant.”
“That was temporary.”
I held his gaze.
“Then why is the security deposit on our joint credit card?”
May you like
Adam went pale.
And I knew the apartment was not the worst thing I was about to discover.
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