Page 6 of Devious Love

I sit cross-legged at the edge of my bed. “Really? Tell me more.”

He laughs. “I’ll know more in a few days. I’ll fill you in then.”

“Okay.” I take a deep breath. “Mom is back.”

For a moment, he’s silent, and when he speaks again, his tone is hesitant. “I know. She called me this morning.”

My stomach sinks. “Is there something I need to know?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just… We’re having dinner with the Watsons tonight, and it weirds me out.”

Dad snickers. “What exactly weirds you out? They haven’t seen their kids in days and want to have dinner with you. Nothing wrong with that.”

A hint of relief trickles through me. “So everything’s alright?”

“Yes. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you, Dad.” I smile. “Can I come to your place tomorrow? I miss you.”

“I miss you too, and of course. I’d love to spend time with my little girl.”

I groan. “I’m not little.”

“To me, you’ll always be.”

We’ve all eaten,though I mostly just picked at my food. So far, thisspecialdinner, as Mom called it, has been nothing but ordinary. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that something’s up. And just sitting at this table with my mom and Allan makes me feel like I’m betraying my dad.

Heismy family. He should be here with us, not Allan and Dominic.

“How about dessert?” Mom asks, looking around the table with a strange, hopeful expression.

“No thanks. I’m full.” I push my plate away. “I actually want?—”

“Please stay.” Mom peers at me with pleading eyes. “We have some news.”

The ding of cutlery hitting a plate rings in the air, and to my left, Dominic looks at his dad, his jaw set and his hazel eyes hard.

“Please don’t tell me you got married.”

What?

“What?” To my right, Matt voices my unasked question.

Adrenaline races through my veins, and as I zero in on Mom, waiting for her response, I can hardly breathe.

Lips curling into a smile, she lifts a shoulder. “We did.”

CHAPTER 2

can i trust you not to scream again?

MIA

Age 13

September