Page 30 of Stay Away from Him
Amelia:
I don’t know if we should be doing this anymore.
Thomas:
What? Talking?
Amelia:
I mean therapy. I was hesitant about it from the beginning, since we know each other so well. But you were in pain, and I wanted to help you. But now, after what’s happened—
Thomas:
What’s happened?
Amelia:
Thomas. Please don’t play dumb with me.
Thomas:
I just want to hear you say it.
[pause]
Amelia:
Last night. After dark. You came over here. And we—we…
Thomas:
Go on.
Amelia:
You know what happened. We had sex.
Thomas:
You make it sound so clinical. I’d say what happened last night deserves a different term.
Amelia:
How would you describe it? We made love?
Thomas:
There’s a level of tenderness implied there that doesn’t quite capture what actually happened.
Not that I don’t feel tenderness toward you.
Just that this is the first time we’ve been together in that way for—God, it must be decades—and I don’t know about you, but I thought there was a hunger in it, a desperation even, that requires a different term.
Amelia:
Fucking. That’s what you men like to say, isn’t it?
Thomas:
Is that so wrong? You didn’t enjoy yourself, is that it? It wasn’t good? You’re wishing it hadn’t happened?
[pause]
Amelia:
I didn’t say that.
Thomas:
I’m glad. Because I definitely don’t regret it. It’s the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.
Amelia:
Thomas…
Thomas:
In fact, it made me think that you’re the person I should’ve been with all along. That from the beginning, it should have been you and me. Not Rose and me. I made a mistake, going with her all those years ago. Marrying her. Not waiting for you.
Amelia:
Thomas, please. This isn’t productive.
Thomas:
Don’t you see? We have a chance now, Amelia. What’s happened is terrible—but it doesn’t have to be terrible for us . For our future. We can start over, pretend Rose never happened. You can be a mother to the girls. The kind of wife I’ve always wanted. We could be a family. A real family.
Amelia:
Can you hear yourself right now?
Thomas:
What?
Amelia:
Thomas, you currently stand accused of murdering your wife. An allegation you vehemently deny. But now, the way you’re acting, the way you’re talking—I don’t know. Even I’m starting to believe you did it.
Thomas:
How could you say that to me? After what happened last night? You don’t trust me, after that ?
Amelia:
Look, I recognize that you came to me last night out of…
of desperation , I think. You’re going through a tremendous amount of stress.
And you wanted to feel something good , maybe.
And now, today, you’re riding high on it, but honestly, your mood today is what I’d describe as manic. Maybe even a bit delusional.
Thomas:
What do you want?
Amelia:
I want you to look at this rationally.
How other people would look at it, if they knew.
Your wife is missing, presumed dead—and you’re sneaking into your next-door neighbor’s house, having sex with your ex-girlfriend.
Worse, talking about marrying her. Saying you’re glad your wife is gone.
Thomas, it makes you look guilty, and it would make me look like an accomplice if it got out.
We don’t even know for certain that Rose is dead.
Thomas:
I do.
Amelia:
But how ?
Thomas:
I just know. I feel it in my bones. She’s gone, Amelia. Forever.
Amelia:
Maybe so. But for your own good—for the good of your kids, who’ll be orphans if you go to jail—shouldn’t you at least pretend you think your wife is still alive?