said that two months ago. She must have had a feeling it could happen. That makes me think that something awful happened to her—that she feared for her life.”
“Maybe she’s just nuts,” Matt said and cut off a thigh, then placed it on the plate before moving on to the breast part of the chicken.
I grunted while mashing, then stopped.
“Excuse me?”
He continued to cut and wasn’t looking at me.
“What kind of an argument is that? She is just nuts?”
He shrugged. “Some women are like that.”
I lifted both my eyebrows. “Was that meant for me?”
He shrugged. “You have been a little…lately.”
I stared at him. I had completely stopped mashing the potatoes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He looked up. “How about taking in Amy and now caring for her child? Refusing to let the authorities take over?”
“That’s nuts to you?” I asked, surprised.
He didn’t look at me but continued to carve the chicken, putting the pieces on the plate with swift, angry movements.
“Kind of. It’s not normal, at least.”
“Wow.”
“What?”
“Nothing. We’re just farther apart than I thought.”
He scoffed. “You won’t even hear what I have to say. It’s like I don’t exist—like I don’t have a say in the matter. I keep telling you it’s too much for you, that you need to let go. It’s not only your life that is disturbed by this. It’s all of us. When is the last time you had time alone with Alex, huh? He’s getting more and more loud and annoying while begging for your attention. Do you know what Christine is doing in the afternoons? Because she hasn’t been coming home straight after school, I can tell you that much. I bet you haven’t even noticed.”
“Christine hasn’t been coming home after school?” I asked, puzzled. “She’s probably just been practicing with the school orchestra.”
Matt scoffed again. “She stopped playing the double bass weeks ago and dropped out of the orchestra.”
I let go of the masher in my hand, and it plunged into the potatoes.
“She what?”
“I told you. You have been missing out on what goes on. The kids need you, Eva Rae. And frankly, so do I. Two infants are too much.”
“And just how long have you known this about Christine and not told me anything?” I asked, wiping my hands on a towel.
“Don’t make this about me,” Matt said, raising his voice. “Don’t you dare make this about me. Not when you’re out there doing only God knows what with that Scott guy. When are you going to tell me what is going on between you two? Don’t you think I can sense how smitten you are with him? All I have to do is mention his name, and your entire face lights up. Don’t you think that hurts me?”
I shook my head, my eyes avoiding his.
“I don’t do that.”
“Yes, you do, Eva Rae,” he said and put the knife down on the counter. “And I am sick of it. We’re about to get married, and how do you think it makes me feel, seeing the way the two of you look at one another?”
I stared into the potatoes, then grabbed the masher and continued, hoping that Matt would leave this alone.
“Hey, where are you going?” I asked when he grabbed his phone and car keys. “We’re about to eat?”
He shook his head. “I’ll eat at my mom’s tonight.”
“What? Why? I made this entire dinner so we could eat it all together. As a family.”
“It’ll have to be without me.”
I exhaled. “Matt. Come on. There’s nothing between Scott and me. I promise.”
“I hear you say the words, but I don’t believe them, Eva Rae,” he said and opened the door.
I stepped toward him. “Matt, please. Let’s talk instead. Don’t leave.”
But it was too late. He had already slammed the door shut, and a second later, I heard his cruiser start. Alex came running up behind me, pulling my arm.
“What are we having for dinner?”
I sighed. “Chicken.”
He made a face. “Aw. I really want pizza.”
“Of course, you do,” I said and kissed his forehead. “But not tonight, sweetie. Tonight, we’re having chicken and mashed potatoes.”
“Yuck,” he said, then took off toward the stairs. In the living room, the babies had both started to cry.
Chapter 37
She waited until he was done with his sandwich. He was standing underneath the streetlamp, eating it, while his girlfriend tugged on his arm, telling him they needed to go, that they were late. Covered by the darkness of the alley she was standing in, Sarah watched him throw the