Page 21 of Wicked Games

But as I write my sorrow onto the page, blue ink smearing, I wonder whose fear it was.

Mine or his.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Seth

She got out of bed. I didn’t know how much relief I’d feel until I saw the outline of her figure in her kitchen. She picked up her cell, and for a naïve moment, I thought she was calling me, but no matter who she was talking to, I’m glad I roused her enough to get out of bed and talk to someone.

The way she was lying there, a small lump under the bedspread, it scared the shit out of me. The air was stale and I knew she’d been lying there for days, maybe even from the minute I said those nasty things to her in the driveway.

I have never felt so ashamed, and when she told me to leave . . . fuck. I didn’t think she’d accept my apology, only wished for it, desperately. Her husband left her for God knows why, maybe it was because of her writing, but then rubbing it in would have made her hate me.

I sit on the couch and watch her open her laptop. The screen’s glow highlights the dark circles under her eyes. I can’t see her that clearly, not unless I had a pair of binoculars and that would have been taking things a little too far, but she’s pale and her hair looks wet. She’s reading something that’s upsetting her, and she rubs her face.

Feeling like a stalker, I get up and call Violet. I said I would keep her in the loop, and I haven’t spoken to her since I told her what a jackass I was.

“She didn’t go for it,” I say the second she picks up the phone.

“I’m sorry. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. It’s poor timing, and you couldn’t have been ready, Seth. Not to meet the woman you’d spend the rest of your life with.”

“I wasn’t thinking that far ahead, but I was hoping I’d have the summer to figure out where we could go from here. I guess I have my answer, and that’s nowhere.”

“Did she let you apologize?”

“No. I broke into her house and found her in her bedroom. It scared me, Vi. She hadn’t moved in days. She reminded me of how I was after Theo’s funeral. She told me to leave, and I did what you said and left her alone.”

“I’m sorry,” she says again, and it’s really the only thing she can say. I blew it, and I still don’t know if it’s good or bad. If I can’t decide, then maybe it’s for the best like Violet said. Avery’s already been jerked around. I don’t need to do that to her too.

“It’s okay. She’s up and moving around now.”

“You’re spying on her? Seth⁠—”

“No, not really. Our houses are positioned around a bay, like a cul-de-sac. I can see into her living room from mine.”

“So she’s watching you too.”

“Doubtful, but yeah, she could if she wanted to.”

“I don’t think this is over,” she says, amused.

“You wouldn’t think that if you’d seen her. I left her my number in case she needs anything, but she won’t use it.”

“No, it sounds like she can just wave at you from her living room. What’s she wearing?”

“It looks like pajama— Violet.”

“What? Are you going to introduce me to her before you ask her to marry you? It’d be nice if one of your wives liked me.”

“Maybe before I leave you and Walker can come out for a week. This house has a few bedrooms. But I don’t know how this is going to play out.” I pause. “Detective LaSalle said they found my duffel bag in the middle of a Latino neighborhood. A kid dug it out of a dumpster and tried to pawn it. No one wants to talk to the cops, and the cops don’t want to bother them either, so a dead end is what he made it sound like.”

“Are they looking around there? Maybe they can find out where they kept Theo.”

“He said they’re canvassing the neighborhood, but he thought it was just a dumping site. From what he told me, I agree.”

“They’re still checking on the guy in prison, aren’t they? Who the gun belonged to?”

“Yeah, but that seems like it’s a dead end too. He’s on year five of a life sentence.”