“You promised me you’d tell me if you had a run-in with her. Are our promises not a big deal to you, either?”

“Of course, they are. But we’ve been through a lot, and we finally caught a break with the ruling yesterday. I just wanted us to have a chance to breathe without some sort of drama raining down on our heads.”

“You don’t get to make that decision for me. Juliette is my sister, and I want to know if she’s making trouble for you. And if you’re not honest with me, it makes me question everything.”

Anna looked as if I’d slapped her. “So, I’m exactly what she accused me of being because I didn’t call you immediately? Because I wanted a night for just you and me to forget all the horrible stuff that’s going on right now?”

I pushed to my feet and went to her. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Anna stood and moved out of my grasp. “No? Is that what you think? That I’m a liar. A con artist. That I’m taking advantage of you?”

“Of course not. But I don’t want to question whether I can trust you to keep your word.”

Her eyes glistened in the amber light of the setting sun. “I’m not a liar because I didn’t report to you immediately.”

I snapped my mouth closed. This was getting us nowhere. “I think I need to take a walk and cool off.”

“Probably not a bad idea.” She turned on her heel and headed back inside.

I was alone again. And for the first time since Anna and the kids had moved in, I felt it.

40

ANNA

I sat on the stairs. Listening. Unable to move. Anywhere I could go held memories of Mason. They were burned into the walls, carved into the floors. So, I sat on the stairs. Not entering any room. Staying in the in-between.

My arms curled around my waist as I saw the hurt flashing across Mason’s face. His words echoed in my mind. He questioned everything. He questioned me.

I should’ve been wiser. Known that if the person he loved most in this world were whispering doubts in his ear, those doubts would eventually take hold. But, instead, I’d held onto my reckless hope. And now, I was paying the price.

Footsteps sounded on the hardwood. The front door opened and then slammed closed. The sound reverberated in my chest, echoing through the empty space.

He hadn’t taken his car or an overnight bag. He was coming back. The knowledge didn’t ease anything in me. Because even if he came back, it wouldn’t fix a damn thing.