Devoured - Cathryn Fox Page 0,47
ever remember my heart being so full.
As I approach the school, laughter reaches my ears, and I check my phone to see it’s afternoon break at the playground. I walk around the school, spot Roman and cover my mouth to stifle a chuckle. The kids are pulling him in all directions. I lean against the brick building, a huge smile on my face as I watch him join them in a game of basketball, where evidently, it’s him against the entire classroom.
“Hey, not fair,” he calls out, when one of the kids distracts him so the other can get the ball. They all laugh, obviously loving how they’re able to get the better of him. I stand there a few more minutes, and my smile falls as a flash of sadness envelops me. The man has been hurt in the past, has sworn off marriage and children. It’s a shame, really. He’s having the time of his life with them right now and it’s clear he’d be a remarkable father. Dammit, I hate that past hurts have forced him to guard his emotions. Maybe it’s time he let go of the past and move on to the future. My throat tightens. Yeah, I’m one to talk.
I fold my arms and hug myself as a cool chill moves through me. The sun is shining on my body, but the cold is always there, right below the surface. I’m about to push off the wall when I catch a shadow on the ground. I turn to find Richard coming toward me. I stand up a bit straighter.
“Late start to your day, isn’t it?” he calls out, his loud voice grabbing my attention. He checks his watch and closes the distance between us.
“I was ill.”
He raises his eyebrow and looks me over, like he’s judging me. “You seem fine now.” He finishes his perusal and I square my shoulders.
“I am now, but I was ill all night.” I narrow my eyes as I remember Roman asking if Richard could be behind my illness. “I think it might have been something I ate. Maybe the cupcake.”
Richard’s head rears back, and he glares at me. “Are you suggesting my wife did something to your cupcake?”
“I’m not—” I say.
“I can’t believe you would accuse her of something so vile... How dare you...”
“I never accused her of anything,” I say, as my stomach clenches. Yeah, I’m beginning to believe more and more that Paula did something underhanded to keep me from the classroom, and with the way he’s defending her, he’s completely unaware.
I stare up at him. Even though I saw the worst side of many people growing up and trust no one, I still can’t quite wrap my brain around the idea that Paula would go to such lengths to knock out the competition. Unease grips my throat. What else would she do to ensure he won the full-time position?
He rocks on his feet for a few seconds, and while I turn to take in Roman’s solid presence on the playground, I can feel Richard’s eyes drilling into me. “Where exactly did you say you and Roman were married?” he asks. My gaze flies back to his. His tone might be deceptively innocent, but every intuition I possess tells me there is nothing innocent about the abrupt change in conversation. This man is on a fishing expedition, although from the smug look on his face, he might have already reeled in a big one.
I tamp down the anxiety threatening to rise. “Oh, it was just a small ceremony at city hall in Manhattan,” I say, and try not to shift or look uncomfortable as the lie spills from my mouth. “Why do you ask?” I take a deep breath, not sure I want to hear the answer.
He goes quiet, leaving my mind to call on every worst case scenario, and after a long pause he says, “I was just wondering, because Paula said there are no records that you two were married in NY State.”
“Why on earth would she look that up?” I ask, almost afraid of the answer. “Is she that bored at home?”
He purses his lips and my gaze goes to Roman, who is now standing perfectly still, watching the two of us. Richard looks back to me. “Why don’t you answer the question?”
“You didn’t ask one, and I’m sure it’s just a filing mistake. I’ll look into it.” The school bell rings. “If you’ll excuse me,” I say, ending our discussion as I