“I’ve watched and read everything about the case. All evidence points to him.” He folds his arms across his chest. “You’re his wife. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for you to stay here.”
“Do you want me to leave?” I ask bluntly. “I get where you’re coming from and I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“I’m not cruel.” He pushes a hand through his blonde hair. “You told Lavinia that you’re staying the night even though she tried to convince you to stay several days. I think you should stick to your decision to stay the one night. I’m sorry, but in the morning, you have to find another place to stay.” He peels his gaze from mine. “And I don’t think you should keep in touch.”
Another nail in the coffin. I could become emotional and upset, but he has the right to decide who stays in his home.
“Okay, Jeffrey. I understand.” It hurts deeply that he wants me to throw away my friendship with Lavinia. Ultimately, Lavinia will have to be the one to decide, but I can’t say that to him. “I’ll leave in the morning.”
I’ll use tonight to come up with a plan.
I will not tell Lavinia about my conversation with Jeffrey, but I’ll stick to my decision to leave. It’s clear I’m not wanted here. There’s no way I’m going to put a strain on her marriage or endanger her child.
Now that he’s said his piece, Jeffrey asks if I want something to drink. I shake my head and return to the guest room, already dreading the fact that I’ll have to eat dinner at the same table as him.
Lavinia returns home an hour later and finishes cooking dinner. When she calls me downstairs for the meal, my stomach is a bundle of nerves.
The only reason I eat at all is because of the baby, but I hardly taste anything. During the entire meal, I keep my eyes on my plate. Jeffrey’s eyes are on me as he makes small talk with his wife. He’s probably expecting me to bring up the conversation we had earlier. He has nothing to worry about.
I’m so uneasy in his presence that I change my mind about staying the night. I’ll leave when everyone is sleeping.
There’s a cheap roadside motel not far from their house. I’ll check into a room there. If I were to tell Lavinia my plans, she’d be upset, so I keep them to myself.
* * *
A loud noise wakes me.I sit upright so fast my head spins. I hadn’t planned on doing it, but I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I didn’t even change into pajamas. Now I’m so disoriented that I can’t figure out what the noise was.
A sudden loud crash lets me know what’s happening.
Voices and sounds outside my window filter into the room. I move toward the window and pull up the blinds.
When I make out what’s outside, my stomach drops. A group of people with flashlights are huddled in the dark, some of them pumping their fists into the air. Someone is holding a long object. A baseball bat, maybe.They brought weapons. What if one of them is carrying a gun?
I don’t need to hear their words to know what they’re saying.
I should have left earlier.
I had planned on leaving when everyone had fallen asleep, but my body was so comfortable on the bed that I drifted off.
I walk back to the bed and sit. Hugging my knees, I shiver in the warm room.
I’m waiting, but I don’t know what for.
They have come for me and I have no idea how to protect myself.
Jeffrey was right, I have no right to put his family in this possibly dangerous situation.
The knock on the door is loud and angry.
When I open the door, Jeffrey is standing there, his face puce. Over his shoulder, I spot Lavinia, looking frightened.
“I’m sorry,” she mouths.
Another crash and the sound of glass shattering downstairs makes all of us jump.
“I’ll leave,” I say even though I have no idea how I’ll get off their property safely. I could drive fast through the crowd, but if I hurt one of them, things could escalate. However, if they push me into a corner, I might be left with no choice.I need to do whatever it takes to protect myself and my baby.
“I think that’s for the best.” Jeffrey’s voice is firm.
