Page 139 of I Will Find You

“It isn’t a question of good or bad. There is no accountability.”

“Do you believe in God, Rachel?”

“What difference does that make?”

“I do. I believe in God. And look what He gave me.” He spread his arms and circled. “Look, Rachel. Look at what God gave the Payne family. Do you think that was just happenstance?”

“Actually, I do.”

“Nonsense. Do you know why the rich feel special? Because they are. You either believe in a just God that rewarded us—or you believe the world is chaos and random luck. Which do you believe?”

“Chaos and random luck,” Rachel said. “Where’s Matthew, Hayden?”

“No, no, I want to hear David’s theory. You were saying that he felt I was in love with you. So go on from there.”

“You were, weren’t you?”

He stopped, turned toward her, spread his arms. “Who’s to say I’m not right now?”

“And when I asked Barb Matteson to make an appointment for Cheryl at the fertility clinic, she told you, didn’t she?”

“And if she did?”

“You would have been upset. You wanted me for yourself. Now suddenly I’m going to have a baby with donor sperm. That made no sense to you, did it?”

Hayden grinned. “Do you have your phone on you?”

“I do.”

“Let me have it.”

“Why?”

“I want to make sure you’re not recording this.”

She hesitated. He was still grinning like a crazy man. She glanced around again, trying with as much subtlety as she could to see David. No sign of him.

“Give me your phone, Rachel.”

His voice had an edge now. No choice. She reached into her pocket, hoping to find the red hang-up button so she could disconnect the call before he saw it, but he grabbed her hand to stop her.

“Ow! What the hell, Hayden?”

He reached into her pocket, took the phone from it, looked at the screen.

“What kind of phone is this?”

“It’s a burner.”

He stared down at it. “I want to hear the rest of your theory, Rachel.”

“How did you feel when you heard I was getting donor sperm?” she asked.

“The same way I felt whenever you got some contemptuous, pathetic new boyfriend. What a waste.”

“It should have been you,” Rachel said.

“It should have been me. I rescued you, Rachel. You should have been mine.”

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