Chapter 90
Jon
Last week
“I’m sorry, Savannah, but I can’t let you do that.”
Jon put Savannah’s car keys in his pocket, his heart hammering in his chest. He absolutely couldn’t allow her to turn up at his house and tell Susan what’s been going on.
His marriage would be over. Susan would take Bella.
How had he got himself into this? Before he could figure out next steps, Savannah lunged forward, reaching for the keys from his pocket.
He grabbed her wrist to stop her and it took a moment to register what she was saying.
“Jon, stop! You’re hurting me!”
He unwrapped his fingers from her wrist and, with a jolt, took in the angry red imprints he’d left on her skin. The rose-gold bracelet slid down her forearm, the inscription mocking him.
“Shit. Sorry. Savannah, I didn’t mean to hurt you…”
“Then give me my fucking keys,” she hissed.
He held up his hands and stepped backward. “Look, can we talk first?” He swallowed.
“No. Susan deserves to know what kind of prick she’s married to.”
How could he get out of this? Think, Jon, think.
“We’re pretty much separated.”
“Oh sure. How convenient.” Savannah rolls her eyes.
“Honestly, we sleep in separate rooms most of the time, we both see other people. We’re just keeping up appearances.”
“Jon, I didn’t come down in the last shower. This is an attempt to save your own skin. My god, I thought we were getting serious.” She glanced over at her wedding photo. “I’d even started to think you were the one. I can’t believe you’ve done this to me.”
“Savannah…” He stepped toward her again.
“No! You’ve hurt me. You’ve humiliated me. And I’m not going down lightly. Fuck you.” She reached again for the keys in his pocket and he jumped back.
“What are you going to do, Jon, stay here for ever holding my keys? I’ll get a cab, you fuckwit.
I’ll walk. Whatever.” She turned to move toward the doorway to the hall and Jon reached for her arm.
She shook him off. “And I’m calling the police, by the way.
You can’t just take my keys, you’ll be done for attempted car theft. ”
“Savannah—”
His phone interrupted him, buzzing on Savannah’s kitchen table. He craned to see the screen. Greta. What did Greta want?
“Let me guess, your wife.” Savannah stood in the doorway, arms folded. “Well, aren’t you going to pick up? Since you’re supposedly separated and she won’t mind that you’re here?”
As his brain whirred ahead, trying to come up with a plan, he answered the call.
“Jon, listen,” Greta said, without any greeting, “I was thinking we should scale down the plan for Susan’s surprise party, in light of her message about Celeste last night.
We’d need to take Juliette Sullivan off the guest list; she’s good friends with Celeste.
And there’s a few others to consider…Anyway, look, I’ve just left your house.
I told her to switch off her phone, but it’s a bit of a shitshow overall, and since Susan doesn’t know about the party anyway, I wonder should we just cancel? ”
Jon glanced at Savannah. She met his eyes and tilted her head. “Why don’t you pass the phone to me, Jon,” she said sweetly. “Let me talk to your wife?”
Jon swallowed. There was one way out of this. It might not work, but Savannah was handing it to him on a plate. It was worth a try.
“Susan…there’s something I have to tell you,” he said into the phone, skirting around Savannah and moving out to the hall.
“What? This is Greta.”
Jon glanced back at Savannah through the open kitchen doorway. He was nearly sure she couldn’t hear Greta’s side of the conversation, only his.
“Susan, I’ve been seeing someone else, and…and I know we said we’d keep it discreet if we did, but she wants me to tell you.”
“Jon, are you drunk?”
He keeps going. This won’t work. It has to work. “Her name is Savannah, she lives at the other 26 Oakpark, where your internet shopping sometimes goes.”
Silence now.
“Savannah’s just found out we’re married and she insisted I tell you, or she would.
I’m here with her now in her house in Oakpark.
” He darted a look at Savannah, who was still standing in the kitchen, arms folded, glowering at him.
“I’ve tried to explain that we’re pretty much living separate lives and that you’re OK with me seeing other people… ”
When Greta spoke, she was incredulous and furious all at once.
“Jon, you absolute fucker. You’ve been cheating on Susan?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
“Unfortunately.” She snorted. “And this woman is threatening to tell her?”
“Yes.”
“It will break her.”
“I know. That’s why I’m telling you now.”
“She thinks I’m Susan? That you’re confessing on the phone?”
“Yes, she wanted to go to see you right now at our house.”
“OK. And why hasn’t she?”
“Because I’m telling you now on the phone. And I’ve explained that we pretty much have an open marriage.” He lowered his voice. “And I have her keys.”
“Jesus. Jon. What have you got yourself into?”
“I know.” He raised his voice slightly again. “Susan, I’m sorry for the early-morning drama, I’ll see you at home later.”
He disconnected the call.
Leaning against the kitchen doorjamb, Savannah held up an index finger.
“No way. You don’t get off that easily. For all I know, you disconnected that call before you said the ‘seeing someone else’ part. Here, give me the phone. I’ll call her back.”
She held out her hand. Jon shoved the phone in his pocket and backed toward the front door.
“Fine.” A furious look. “Then I’m still going over there. Susan and I can compare notes.”
Oh god. Why wasn’t she listening to reason?
If only he’d never met her. If only he hadn’t been so stupid.
If Susan found out…it didn’t bear thinking about.
He still had Savannah’s keys, but she could get a taxi, like she said.
Or go tomorrow if she didn’t go today. What was he going to do, keep her prisoner here for ever?
No, he needed to calm her down, make her see sense, buy himself some time…
an idea struck. Would it work? Probably not. But he was desperate.
He pulled the phone out again and hit Greta’s number.
The call was answered, but she didn’t speak. Jon could feel the silent fury coming down the phone line.
“Um, hi, I wonder if you could come over here to the other 26 Oakpark to help me out. Savannah wants to see you in person.”
In the kitchen doorway, Savannah looked confused, and slightly alarmed.
On the phone, Greta cleared her throat.
“Jon, what the actual—are you asking me to come over and pretend to be Susan?”
“Exactly.” Anything to keep Savannah away from Susan, away from their home. Maybe there was still a chance he could walk out of this house today, marriage intact, and never see Savannah again.
“For fuck’s sake.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Silence. He willed her to do it. Even if it just bought him some time to plan, it would be worth it. Anything to stop Savannah going to see Susan right now.
“Fine,” Greta said eventually, “but this is a temporary fix while Susan’s dealing with the fallout from the message. Once that blows over, you confess. She is not to hear it from that woman. You’ll tell her everything yourself.”
“Sure, I absolutely will.” He absolutely wouldn’t. He wanted to magic Savannah and the entire affair out of existence. But he’d worry about that later. For now, he just needed to keep Savannah away from Susan.
“And just to be clear,” Greta added, “I’m doing this for Susan. Not for you.”
“Understood. Just please, hurry.”