The first thing I see is all the text messages filling the screen. There’s a couple from Lucy, my best friend, but most of them are from an unknown number. I start scrolling.
The ones from Lucy are very strange:
I’m so sorry.
I hope you can forgive me someday. It will never happen again.
I can’t even imagine what she’s talking about. In my memory, she has never done anything to be sorry for. But for all I know, she could have betrayed me yesterday. That’s when the text messages came.
I put that mystery aside for a moment and start looking at the other text messages. They all come from an unknown number, but I assume it must be Harry. I start reading through them, a lump rising in my throat.
Tess, we need to talk.
I think you’re in danger.
Let me know you got this. I’ll meet you anywhere.
Are you OK?
I don’t know if you’re getting these messages or if he took your phone. But you need to know I love you. Please message me. It’s Harry.
If he did anything to hurt you, I’ll kill him.
I wonder how long he’s been trying to contact me. How many days has he met with me covertly and warned me about this situation? I wish I could remember. It’s so frustrating that I can’t.
I type a message into the phone, praying that he gets it:
I have my phone. Thank you for telling me where it was. Can we meet?
Three bubbles appear on the screen. He has to say yes.
We shouldn’t. It never helps. And he’s punishing you for it.
Please meet me. Please.
Three more bubbles appear on the screen. I don’t know what he’s writing to me, but it seems to take an eternity. By the time the message appears, I half expect it to fill the entire screen. But instead, it’s one line.
Better we don’t. Trust me.
And then:
Delete these messages.
I almost hurl my phone across the room in frustration. I write him half a dozen more messages, begging him to meet with me. But he never responds again.
Chapter 35
Graham comes home from work at five o’clock. Camila opens the door for him, and he’s carrying a bouquet of a dozen roses and a box of Godiva chocolates.
“Wow,” Camila comments. “Someone is in a romantic mood today.”
Graham’s blue eyes lock with mine. “It’s been a hard week, and I wanted to do something nice for Tess.”
I rise from the sofa, thinking of my phone stuffed under one of the cushions. It’s on silent, so it won’t ring or buzz to give me away. I was careful who I called today. I didn’t contact Lucy. But I found my father’s number programmed into the phone, and I tried calling him. There was no answer, but I left a message.
“Thank you,” I say stiffly. “The roses are beautiful.”
“If you’d like,” he says, “we can go out to dinner. Anywhere you want.”
The thought of going out to a restaurant with this man makes me physically ill, but I can’t let on. “Maybe.”
He looks me up and down in my jeans and sweatshirt. “You’d have to change though. Obviously.” He squints at my face. “And put on some makeup.”
I turn my head so I don’t have to look at him. “Maybe tomorrow.”
“I’ll put those beautiful roses in some water,” Camila says helpfully.
She takes the roses out of Graham’s hands, but he is still staring at me. “Don’t you want the chocolates?”
I take them from him. I open the box and it’s filled with white chocolate truffles. My favorite.
“Your favorite, right?” He pushes his glasses up his nose. “Did I do good?”
I nod slowly. “Thank you. It’s very nice of you.”
“Well, you are my wife.” One corner of his lips quirks up. “I wanted to do something nice for you.”
He has a nice smile. He’s attractive. It would be easy to believe his lies if I hadn’t found that phone this morning.
“Listen.” He leans closer to me so that I catch a whiff of his expensive cologne. “I’ve got to get a little more work done in my office upstairs. But let’s plan on going out tonight, okay? We’ll have a nice time. Anywhere you want to go.”
“Okay,” I hear myself saying. “That sounds great.”
Graham leans in and gives me a peck on the cheek. It’s all I can do to keep from jerking away from him.
I watch my husband disappear up the stairs. My shoulders don’t relax until the door to his office slams shut.
“Well, that was nice of him, wasn’t it?” Camila returns to the room carrying a large glass vase containing the roses. “I wish I had a man coming home for me with flowers and candy.”