Chapter 10 - The Kids
Matt stared at his phone for a long time before finally dialing. There was no easy way to start this. Sarah answered on the second ring, her voice light. “Hey.”
“We need to talk about something, and I didn’t want you to hear it from anyone else.”
The warmth dropped from her tone. “What is it?”
Matt exhaled. “Lily showed up at the kids’ school today. She tried to check them out, told the receptionist there was a family emergency.”
There was silence for a split second, and then Sarah’s voice sharpened like glass. “She what?”
“She didn’t get to them. The school called me right away. I had them keep her there until the police arrived. She’s in custody now.”
Sarah’s fury came through the line in waves. “Matt, I swear to God, I will...”
“I know,” he cut in gently. “I know exactly what you would have done, and that’s why I didn’t tell you until she was already in cuffs.”
“So she’s coming for my kids now,” Sarah said, a deep hum rising in her throat. “She wants to raise the stakes and put her life on the line? I'll oblige. My children are not negotiable, Matt. She lays a hand on them, and jail won’t save her. Nothing will. Do you hear me?"
“I do,” he said. “Which is why I’m going to see her at the jail.”
“You what?”
“I’m taking Jim with me. I’m going to make it crystal clear that I’m not brainwashed, I’m not trapped, and I’m in love with my wife. She needs to hear it straight from me.”
Sarah’s breath came fast, and when she spoke, it was through clenched restraint. “You think talking to her is going to make her stop?”
“No. However, I do think she will keep spinning this idea in her head that she still has a chance. Sarah, she told the cop today that you were a danger to me. She thinks you have some kind of mind control over me. I need to shut it down. With Jim there as a witness.”
There was a pause, her anger wrestling with the practical part of her brain. “I hate this. I hate that she gets one more second of your time.”
“I do too. But if it keeps her from circling back around the family again…”
Silence again, then she finally relented. “Fine. But you stay with Jim the whole time. And you watch her eyes. You’ll know if she’s listening or just storing up more crazy.”
“I will,” he promised. “I’ll call you after.”
When they hung up, Matt drove straight to the office where Jim was waiting by the curb, leaning on his truck. They didn’t waste words, just climbed in and headed toward the jail.
They waited in the small, airless lobby for nearly fifteen minutes, just long enough for Lily to be processed and moved into a holding cell. A guard finally approached, letting them know she wasn’t cleared for the standard visiting room due to “behavioral concerns.”
Matt didn’t have to ask what that meant.
They followed the guard through a side hallway, the air colder, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead.
He could hear Lily before he saw her, the rise and fall of her voice carrying from the back.
When they reached the cell, she was pacing in slow, deliberate turns, her eyes locking on him like she’d been waiting.
Her smile was soft at first, almost tender, but there was nothing sane in her gaze.
“Matt,” she breathed. “You came.”
“Lily, this has to stop,” Matt said, his voice hard enough to cut. “You’ve gone too far. My kids? What the hell were you thinking?”
“Matt,” she said, with a slow shake of her head, “I know Sarah has you brainwashed. You aren’t yourself right now.”
Jim stayed just out of sight, but Matt caught the way his mouth dropped open at her words.
Lily kept going, her voice taking on a feverish edge. “Between her and Mr. Holloway, they’re conspiring against you. Against us. Don’t you see? They are deliberately keeping us apart because they know what we are. They see how real it is.”
Matt laughed once, sharp and humorless. “Lily, I’m the one keeping us apart.
There is no us. I am in love with my wife.
You are a regret. I’ve told you this before.
What will it take to make you see you’re wasting your time?
You’ve been in jail twice now. You’ve been dragged out of places by security.
You’re acting like a complete and total fool.
And breaking into my house? Telling people I gave you a key?
Trying to get to my kids? This ends now.
No more, Lily. Get it through your head.
You mean nothing to me, and everyone knows you are not well. ”
Her eyes narrowed at that last word, and her voice dropped to a hiss. “No one thinks I’m crazy. You loved me once. When you lived with me, you were happy.”
Behind him, Jim’s jaw unhinged again, but he said nothing.
Matt raked a hand through his hair, his patience thinning to threads. “No, Lily. I never loved you. You were the biggest mistake of my life. Stop fantasizing about something that never happened and never will.”
Tears slid down her cheeks, then she snapped her head up and screamed, “Then get out! You bastard, get the fuck out of my sight! You will know real regret, Matt Taylor. Mark my words!”
Matt didn’t flinch. “Don’t ever come near me or my family again. Ever.”
He turned and walked away without looking back. Jim followed, silent, the echo of Lily’s rage chasing them down the hallway.
Jim caught up to Matt, who was moving fast, almost like he couldn’t get enough distance between himself and the sound of Lily’s voice.
“Matt… you lived with Lily?” Jim asked, his face filled with disbelief. “I thought it was just that one night.”
Matt stopped short, still rattled from the confrontation. He turned to Jim, the admission heavy in his voice. “Yeah, okay. I stayed with her for a bit after Sarah kicked me out. I didn’t tell you because I was ashamed of myself, of my weakness. I can’t forgive myself, Jim. I was… stupid.”
Jim lifted both hands, palms out. “Hey, hey. Calm down. It was a mistake. You and Sarah are moving past it. Hell, I hate saying this, but maybe it woke you up. You are fighting with everything you've got for Sarah.”
Matt’s eyes narrowed. “How do you figure that?”
Jim shrugged. “You and Sarah were never overly affectionate before, at least not from what I saw. Now you can’t keep your hands off each other.
It’s like you’ve finally remembered why you got married in the first place.
This whole thing feels bigger and messier because of the Lily factor, but you’ll get through it. Just…don’t ever lie to me again.”
Matt almost told him the truth, that the handholding and easy smiles were as much for show as they were for survival. But the words stuck. If Jim believed in their marriage, maybe that was one illusion worth keeping alive. “Damn, Jim. I needed that pep talk.”
When Matt got home, the smell of garlic and onions met him at the door.
Sarah was at the stove, hair pulled back, stirring a skillet while the kids sat at the island, bantering back and forth about the cops being at the school today.
Their voices were light, curious, and completely unaware of the real reason.
The sight of them laughing like nothing had happened nearly undid him. He crossed the room and swept both of them into his arms. Emily squealed and hugged him back. “I just love Dad hugs.”
Tommy grinned. “Dad, you’re wrinkling my shirt.”
Matt laughed, ruffling both of their heads. “I just love seeing my kids when I get home from work.”
He rounded the island and slipped an arm around Sarah’s waist, pressing his lips to her temple. “We’ll talk after the kids go to bed,” he murmured.
She didn’t ask.
Dinner passed with the Bruno Mars playlist filling the silences. Emily sang along, Tommy drummed his hands on the counter in rhythm, and Matt and Sarah each ate a few distracted bites, their appetite dulled by what they weren’t saying.
Afterward, Sarah coaxed Emily into the bath while Matt sat with Tommy at the kitchen table, checking over his math homework. It was the kind of easy, ordinary moment he wanted to protect at all costs.
When bedtime rolled around, Emily hugged him once more, Tommy mumbled goodnight, and the house settled into quiet.
Matt stood in the hallway outside their bedroom, stalling. He hated the gravity of what he had to tell Sarah. He knew exactly how furious she would be.
He took a breath, walked in, and shut the door behind him. Tonight, there was no way to soften the truth.
He sat on the edge of the couch, watching Sarah pull her hair into a loose knot. She turned to him, reading the strain in his expression before he spoke.
“What happened at the jail?”
“I told her it was over. That there is no us, never was. That you are my wife. That I love you. I thought if I said it to her face, maybe she would finally stop.”
Sarah’s brows drew together, her voice sharp but steady. “And?”
“She snapped. Called me every name she could think of. Said I would regret it. She is worse than I imagined, Sarah. She is not in control of herself.”
Sarah stilled, the sheer audacity of it all burning through her. “She went after our children, Matt. That is crossing a line you do not ever come back from.”
He took her hand, his voice low. “I know. And I promise you, I will protect this family. You and the kids come first. Always.”
He squeezed her hand, waiting for her to say something, anything. But Sarah only looked away, her silence carrying more weight than words.