8
THEA
Looking at my phone, I realize I’m running behind. Sutton’s parents are coming to visit today and I still have to get these groceries loaded into my truck. I hug my jacket closer—it’s chillier than normal this morning.
Grabbing as many of the plastic bag handles as I can in each hand, I hoist the groceries out of the cart and onto the tailgate. I’m pushing them into the bed of the truck when a voice sounds from behind me, making me jump.
“Hey there. Need some help?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I eye a man in a pale blue button down with a black wool coat over it and black slacks with… a badge fastened to his waistband. I swallow the thick knot in my throat before answering.
“Thank you. I think I’ve got it.” I smile tightly. I’m not sure why this man is setting off alarm bells. Maybe it’s my guilty conscience and thoughts of revenge or maybe it’s because of the murderous things I’ve been an accomplice to.
Turning back to my groceries, I’m praying that this man is just a good Samaritan and goes about his day. I close the tailgate and turn to grab the cart, but he’s still there with his hand already on it.
“Walk with me, Ms. Griffin.” He doesn’t wait for me to answer. He trusts that I’m going to follow. Looking at my driver’s side door, I think to myself that I could run. I could get into my truck and leave before he has a chance to catch me. What stops me is the realization that if this man knows my name, there’s a good chance he knows where I live and could easily find me.
So, I walk behind him. He must hear my footsteps because he speaks up. “I’m Detective Williams. I’m following up on a missing person’s case and I’d like to ask you some questions.”
My heart thuds in my chest. I should’ve run. The consequences of Rob and Matt have finally caught up. And all I can hear is Jessie’s words in my head. “You’re a shit liar.”
“Oh,” I say blandly, trying to repress any emotion that might come through. “I’d be happy to answer your questions. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I’m aware of anyone who’s missing.” I think I did good. My tone was even, and there wasn’t an ounce of defensiveness. Keep playing it cool, Thea.
Detective Williams pushes the cart into the corral, then turns to face me. I take him in. He’s bald with an unnaturally shiny scalp that’s tinged just slightly red, like he’s recovering from a sunburn. The rest of his skin is glowing and tan, making his bright white smile stand out. While his grin is wide, it doesn’t touch his gray-blue eyes.
“Hmmm,” he muses. Walking past me, he heads back toward my truck. Following behind, he looks back over his shoulder. “That’s funny, it’s actually your ex, Gavin Tallentire who I’m looking for and I was told he was last seen here, in Willow Hill.”
My feet stumble slightly. I try to recover quickly so that he doesn’t see my reaction. It’s useless—his eyes narrow and I can tell that he’s cataloging it. “Gavin?” Fuck. I’m screwing this up. I mean for his name to come out sounding surprised, instead it comes out as if I don’t know who he’s talking about.
The detective turns on his heels, forcing me to stop in my tracks. “Yeah. Gavin. Your ex of twelve years who came here trying to win you back this summer. When’s the last time you’ve seen or heard from him?”
My thoughts race. After everything that happened with Cole, I have no idea when I last heard from Gavin, not truly. But I know when I last saw him. That memory is burned into my brain. It comes with a whole other set of problems, but I have to give this man something.
“The last time I saw Gavin was at the town carnival on July fourth.” Keep it simple.
Williams pulls his phone from his pocket, giving me a glimpse of the gun at his waist. He starts typing. “And what were the circumstances of that last meeting?”
He says meeting like it was planned. “Gavin ambushed me at the carnival. He kept trying to convince me to get back together with him. I told him no. That was the last time I saw him.” I take a deep breath, knowing that I failed to keep the anger out of my voice and to keep my answer simple.
The detective types some more.
“Interesting.” He puts his phone back into his pocket and walks to my driver’s side, placing his hand on the door handle. “See… when I first came to town,” Williams pauses to open my door, unlocked of course, I haven’t learned. “I spoke with Detective Santos. You remember Detective Santos, right?”
He motions for me to get into my truck. I don’t move. Neither does he. Williams just holds his pose, waiting for me to get in. After a few uncomfortable seconds, I give in.
“Yeah, I remember her,” I admit as I slid into my seat.
The detective keeps one hand on the door while the other rests on the hood, caging me in. “She mentioned something to me and I just haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Maybe you can help,” he says in a disingenuously optimistic tone. “She brought up a break-in case that she worked a couple of months ago. At your studio.”
I don’t say anything.
“Yeah, she said you mentioned that you thought it might be your ex who broke in. That you saw him on the video camera. That was after July fourth, right?” I don’t know what he’s trying to imply. The last time I definitely saw Gavin was the night of the carnival. But in the security camera footage, I could’ve sworn it was him at the time. The intruder was masked and wearing Gavin’s hoodie.
Now, of course, I know it wasn’t him. It was Cole. But I can’t give that answer. There’s already an open case on him in Tennessee. If I give Detective Williams Cole’s name and he finds that case file, he’ll start digging into me and the guys. I can’t have that.
I smile and nearly laugh. “You’re right. I completely forgot about that. But to be fair, in the video footage, the man was masked. So I can’t really say if that was Gavin or not and I thought you wanted more of a precise answer. In person, I last saw Gavin at the carnival. But it’s very possible that was him on the video. I’m just not sure.” I shrug with the last part, hoping I’m playing cool enough that he doesn’t push me with any more questions.
He nods, the glare of the sun bouncing off the bare skin of his head. “Fair enough.” He reaches into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. “Here. If you think of anything, give me a call. I’ll be around and if I have any more questions, which I’m sure I will, I’ll find you.” That last part almost sounds like a threat. I grin forcefully.
The detective backs away, closing the door of my truck, then heading across the parking lot. I take a few deep breaths and send a text in the group chat.
Me: On my way home from the store
My hands are trembling as I back out of the parking spot.
What the fuck am I supposed to do? I can’t tell the guys, they’ll worry too much. And with Cole ‘not around’ to take the fall for Gavin’s disappearance. I have to think of a way out of this. But how?
It’s only been a day since I accepted the new terms of the pact and I’m regretting it. Leaving might have been better for all of us. I rest my head on my steering wheel for a moment. A horn honks behind me. Looking in my rearview, I see the detective behind me waiting for me to move. Pulling out of the shopping plaza, I head home—unsure of what lies ahead of me and terrified of what’s behind me.
SUTTON
I’m washing the dishes when I hear Thea’s truck tires crunching against the gravel driveway. Drying my hands, I grab my cane and walk outside to help her with the groceries—well, as much as I can these days.
“Hey, baby.” I pull her in for a kiss as she gets out of the truck. However, there’s an extra edge of tenseness radiating off of her. I can’t help feeling it. It’s always been like that with us—sensing each other’s emotions without speaking. That’s how I can tell something’s happened. I lean back. “What’s wrong?” I brush a strand of dark hair from her cheek.
Cole immediately comes to mind. He shouldn’t. He hasn’t been around for over a month. Staring at Thea, her lip is quivering, and she looks like she’s on the verge of tears.
“Baby, tell me what’s wrong before I freak the fuck out. Tell me so I can fix whatever it is.”
She closes her eyes and takes a breath. “Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m fine. A car almost hit me at the store and I’m just shaken up.”
I let out a sigh of relief. That we can manage. Taking her chin between my fingers, I reassure her. “You’re okay. I know that scared you, but you’re okay. Let’s get this stuff inside and have a nice day. Alright?”
She nods and gives me a small smile.
Not that it’s going to change her mind, I add, “You should take Wes up on his offer for a new car. Something safer, in case anything does happen.” She doesn’t acknowledge my suggestion.
Inside, I set the bags down, wincing as I do.
“Are you hurting?” Thea asks, rushing around the island to my side, concern in those deep blue eyes.
Pushing past the ache, I assure her I’m fine. Physical therapy days are always hard on my body. I let out a yawn—tiring, too. I’m ready to be done with these appointments. They’re helping, but I want to be rid of this cane and back to my old self. I know this injury doesn’t make me less than a man, so why do I feel that way?
I watch Thea lay out the food she bought for my parent’s visit. She insisted on going to the store and making a nice spread for them. I appreciate her effort. Her desire to impress my mom makes me love her even more.
But something’s different about her these days. What she went through with Cole… no one should’ve had to go through that, least of all her. I think it destroyed a piece of her. She still smiles and laughs, yet it’s not the same as before. She goes to work and spends time with each of us, although she’s not fully present. It’s like part of her is always somewhere else. And that sparkle she used to get in her eyes doesn’t happen much these days.
I don’t know how to help or fix this.
I’m about to ask her to put me to work when there’s a knock at the door. Through the window in the door, I see my mom’s face and break out into a smile. I rush over, cane in hand, despite the pain in my leg.
“Mom! You’re early.” I pull her into a hug, soaking up the warmth of her presence. She’s always been a ray of sunshine in my life. “Where’s dad?” I peer around her to see if he’s still in the car. When I don’t see him, my face scrunches in confusion.
My mom puts a hand on my arm, ushering me inside. “He couldn’t make it today.” She looks past me. “Thea, it’s so good to see you, especially when it’s not in that hospital.”
“Sherry,” Thea coos back, coming toward her with arms open. “How was the drive over? Are you hungry?”
They walk into the kitchen together. However, I’m still stuck on the absence of my dad. He never misses a visit. Closing the door, I follow them. “Mom, is dad sick or something?”
Their small talk ceases and that’s when I see something I’m not sure I’ve ever noticed my mom do. She frowns and her eyes drop. My stomach tightens.
“Sutton, can I speak to you privately?”
Thea nods at me. She looks concerned, sensing the same thing as me. Busying herself, she starts cutting some fruit as I lead my mom into the living room.
“Is everything alright? You’re worrying me.” She looks around briefly.
“Can we go outside? Or somewhere a little more private?”
I’m getting impatient. “Just tell me what’s going on.” Running a hand over my head, I add, “Please.”
My mom shifts uncomfortably before walking to the wall of windows and looking out over the river. “Sutton, I want you to know how much I love you. You are the light of my life, my everything. But what I have to tell you is going to change everything and I’m so sorry. Please know that. I never wanted to hurt you.”
My mouth is dry and my heart pounds in my chest. I don’t know what she’s about to tell me, yet I know it’s going to be bad if she’s saying things like this.
“I’ve been lying to you for a long time. It’s time I come clean and tell you the truth.” Her voice cracks as it drops down to a whisper. I study her face for any sign of the lie she’s speaking of. Her eyes, the same shade of light brown, are watering and bloodshot, as if she’s been crying a lot. “I’ve been unfaithful to your father and we’re getting divorced,” she admits to me.
The revelation hits me like a ton of bricks.
No. No, this isn’t right. My parents are the happiest people I know. The happiest couple. Memories of them slam into me and I look for proof in those moments that I’m wrong. Maybe I was looking at them through rose-colored glasses. As I sift through the images of my life, I don’t see anger, sadness, fights, or any other sign that would lead her to do this.
“Mom, it was a mistake,” I reason. “You and dad can get past it. Let’s talk to him.” My voice wavers as I hold back my tears. “It was a stupid mistake, but he can forgive you. He has a good heart. He will forgive you. We just need to talk to him. You need to tell him how sorry you are.” I’m gripping her hands in mine as I try to figure out a way to put the pieces back together. I can fix this for them.
She looks away, back to the river. “Sutton, I wish it was that easy. It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t one time. This has been going on for a very long time and your dad has known about it for a while.”
I pull my hands away, looking at her, perplexed. “What do you mean?”
Silence like I’ve never known fills the space between us as I wait for her to answer.
“I’ve been with him for the last twenty-four years. It started as a mistake, but I fell in love with him. I confessed to your father, expecting anger and for him to leave me, but he didn’t. He asked me to end the affair and I told him I couldn’t do that.” I watch as she finally meets my gaze. I expect shame or regret, but it’s not there. She looks sad, maybe because she knows this is destroying me. However, I don’t think she regrets the affair or falling in love with someone who isn’t my dad. And that kills me. “He said we would stay together. He wouldn’t make me choose because you needed two parents. You needed us and I agreed with that. Giving you an amazing childhood was the most important thing to us.”
I tilt my head, her words tumbling around in my mind. “No,” I disagree. “That wasn’t the most important thing to you.” My voice gets louder. I’ve never spoken to my mom like this, but maybe that’s the issue. I’ve never created problems. I just let things happen. “The most important thing to you was sleeping with some guy and then falling in love with him. The most important thing was you saving face and not looking like a bad wife or mother.”
That’s when the first tear rolls down her cheek. I want to feel guilty. But I only feel rage.
“I need you to leave.” My mom reaches for me, I step back. “Please, leave.”
Her head drops, a silent acknowledgement that there’s nothing she can say or do to make this better. I watch her walk across the living room and out the front door, then I catch Thea’s eyes as she peers around the fireplace.
That’s when I lose it.
The fall to the floor barely fazes me. The pain in my leg is a distant ache compared to the feeling of my chest being ripped open. That’s all I feel. And all I can do is stare out over the river absently as I try to come to terms with my mom’s revelation.
Suddenly, I notice the wetness coating my cheeks. I’m crying. But not loudly or noticeably, the pain ripping through me must look rather calm from the outside. I have the distant thought that this is something I may never be able to forgive.
I feel arms around me and hear Thea whispering words of love into my ear. Her presence doesn’t bring the comfort it normally would—this wound is too deep for even her to touch.