Page 99 of Ly to Me

“Here, you’d be right.”

A flash of confusion passed his face. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t want to stay in Alliston, Car. I want to go to another town, somewhere far from here. Somewhere that isn’t—” I stopped before saying too much, then corrected myself. “Somewhere me and you can, I dunno, rent a place, start livin’? I have money saved up and I’m supposed to go buy this car soon that I’ve been eyein’, and that will leave me with enough rent for a month or two for a place you and I can fit into easily. I mean, probably a studio, nothin’ fancy. You can still enlist from there, and I’ll get a job doin’…I don’t know, but I’ll find somethingquick, I promise.” I forced myself to take a breath, realizing I’d just blurted all of my thoughts without giving him a second to process.

But he was grinning.

“That”—he cupped my cheek—“sounds like a dream. One I’m on board for.”

34

Carver

The Defense

Istroked the armrests while my vision tunneled on the brown hair catching rays from the midday sun, fanning over my pillows and covering parts of my wife’s back. The coarse fabricnumbed the pads of my fingers, but it wasn’t nearly as grating as the fact that my mind refused to shut off.

Not until I knew why she really left me.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and to give myself something else to focus on, I pulled it out and glanced at the time—3:12—before opening my messages.

Turns out, I’d missed quite a few things.

Jamie: I take it you found your wife.

Jamie: I’m headin’ to the facility. We need to talk numbers.

Jamie: Unless you want to reconsider.

I snorted a laugh.Fuck that.

Jamie: Actually, I forgot some kitchen things. Comin’ by in a bit.

I read the last one, and my fist curled.

Jamie: I’m here. I’ve got a key still, so I’ll just let myself in.

Like hell you—

The faint sound of clicking coming from the front door forced me from my seat and into the living room, where the doorknob was starting to turn.

I was ready with my hand out by the time the door opened and Jamie tried to step in.

“I’ll be takin’ that,” I said through gritted teeth.

Jamie’s hands, one still holding the key, went up in the air beside his head. “I’m not tryin’ to cause any harm, now,” he said, yet the twitch of his lips told me otherwise.

I flexed my outstretched fingers. “Keys,” I repeated the demand, eyeing my wife’s new key to her house. “Now.”

“Jesus, you’re more uptight than usual.” He slid the key into my hand, then glanced behind him at the front yard. “Have anythin’ to do with that bonfire you didn’t invite me to?” Jamie’s attention drifted to the dining room and his grin spread. “Where’s the chairs?”

“You said you were here for shit, not to talk it.”

His lips puckered like he was about to let out a whistle, but thought better of it with one look at my face. “Alright, then.”

“Well, go on.” I stepped back and gestured toward the kitchen.

Jamie was silent until his head was in a cupboard, scoping out appliances I was sure didn’t belong to him. “Where’s the wife?”