Page 152

Not for a damn second.
Chapter Thirty Six
Annie
The wind howls outside, rattling the windows, and rain lashes against the glass in heavy sheets. The lights flicker once, twice, but stay on, illuminating the living room where Robbie and I sit on the floor, surrounded by an army of plastic dinosaurs. The distant rumble of thunder rolls through the house, but inside, it’s calm.
At least, for Robbie.
I wish I could say the same for myself.
I force a small smile as Robbie pushes a T-Rex toward my raptor, making dramatic growling sounds. He’s completely absorbed in his game, oblivious to the way my stomach twists, the way my skin feels too tight, too warm.
Dinner had been good—at least, I assume it was. I barely tasted it, barely touched it beyond a few forced bites. My appetite had vanished hours ago, and the storm outside gave me an easy excuse to take it easy tonight. No big outings, no need to force enthusiasm I didn’t have. Just a quiet night inside.
At least, that’s what I’d hoped for.
I would’ve gone upstairs already if it weren’t for Robbie. He had looked up at me after dinner, eyes big and hopeful, and asked if I wanted to play. And I couldn’t say no. I didn’t want to.
And anyway, maybe it would distract me for a bit.
So here I am, sitting cross-legged on the floor, pretending my dinosaur is hunting his, even though my mind is miles away.
Across the room, Cole sits at the table, his laptop open in front of him. His fingers tap at the keyboard, but not constantly. Every so often, he pauses, gaze flicking toward me. He thinks I don’t notice, but I do.
He’s been watching me all night, all through dinner.
I don’t know if it’s suspicion, concern, or something else, but I can feel it, like a constant pressure.
He knows something’s off.
I’ve done my best to act normal—to smile at the right moments, to laugh when Robbie says something funny, to keep my voice light and even—but Cole isn’t an idiot.
I know he’s waiting.
I don’t want to talk about it. Not yet.
So, I focus on Robbie, on his endless energy, on the way his little hands move as he positions his dinosaurs into a battle scene.
“And then—boom!” Robbie slams his T-Rex into my raptor, making them both tumble over. “The T-Rex wins!”
I gasp in mock horror. “Not the raptor!”
He grins, clearly pleased with himself. “T-Rexes are stronger.”
“Yeah, but raptors are smarter,” I counter, picking up my dinosaur and setting it back upright. “Maybe my raptor set a trap.”
Robbie tilts his head, considering. “Hmm.”
“Maybe he lured your T-Rex into a swamp,” I continue, nudging his dinosaur toward the edge of the playmat. “And now he’s stuck in the mud.”
Robbie lets out a laugh. “No way! The T-Rex is too strong to get stuck.”
I smirk. “I don’t know… looks pretty trapped to me.”
He frowns dramatically, then suddenly grabs a different dinosaur—a stegosaurus—and charges it into my raptor. “Surprise attack!”
I laugh despite myself, shaking my head as I let my dinosaur fall over in defeat.