She kept chatting, probably about the sauce or something light. But her voice faded into the background. My attention had locked onto Mochi. The things he’d said. The strange timing of it all.
Maybe it was nothing. Maybe he really did mean Tara. And the incident upstairs was just a hallucination during a faintingspell. However, after everything that had happened, my stomach wouldn’t let it go. Something felt off.
Daniel stepped into the kitchen. “Bad news,” he said.
I looked up sharply. “What is it?”
“One of our biggest cargo ships got caught in a storm. It’s actively sinking. Over three hundred million in damage to the cargo already.”
Tara’s hand flew to her mouth. “Good God!”
“That’s terrible,” I said, my voice tight.
“A helicopter’s coming to pick us up soon,” Daniel continued. “I have an emergency meeting at headquarters in Boston at one. Why don’t you finish eating? I’ll start packing our things.” He kissed my cheek and turned to leave.
I stepped in front of him. “H-how long is the meeting?” My mind scrambled to keep up.
“Probably two to three hours.”
“Do you need me there?”
Daniel shook his head. “No. I’ll have a driver take you to our place in Boston.”
He moved to go again, but I didn’t let him pass.
“Why don’t I stay here, then?” My voice came out confident, certain. “We just got here. And if the meeting is only a couple of hours, couldn’t the helicopter fly you back after the meeting?”
He looked at me like I’d just asked him to cure world hunger. Or cancer. Or prove aliens existed.
“I mean, it makes more sense this way,” I said.
“We can leave together, then come back after the meeting,” Daniel countered.
None of it made any sense.
“It just seems like more of a hassle to bring me along. I’ll be fine here for a few hours.”
“But Hudson’s gone,” he said, his brow furrowed.
“Tara’s here.” I nodded toward her.
“I’ll be here until Hudson gets back,” she added, hands busy at the sink. “And if he’s running late or you need to stay in Boston longer, I can just take the guest room. Emily won’t be here by herself overnight. I promise.”
Oh, great. The crazy wife who can’t be trusted alone for a few hours?
Daniel shook his head. “It’s better if you come with me.”
I crossed my arms. “I’ll wait here, Daniel. At the Breakers.”
Firm. Calm. No need to argue.
His eyes darted between Tara and me. Something in his face cracked for just a second. Tight, unsettled, like he knew something I didn’t. Had I said something in my sleep? Did he know about the hallucination of the woman? Or had Tara mentioned the fall in his parents’ room?
Either way, I’d stay. We’d just gotten here. And the flashback I’d had last night, the first time I’d remembered a part of my childhood—that wasn’t something I could just walk away from. If Daniel changed his mind once we got back to Boston, how would I convince him to come back here? I liked it here. If I ended up alone for a few hours, so what? Big deal.
Daniel stepped closer and grabbed both of my hands. “Emily,” he said softly. “The last few months have been...a lot. I’m just a little worried about leaving you here. That’s it.”
I closed the distance between us. “I get that. But I’m a grown woman, and I won’t be alone. Tara will be here. The helicopter ride to Boston won’t take more than what? An hour? And your meeting won’t take more than three. You’ll be back long before dark.”
