Page 132 of The Homemaker
She shuts the passenger door, posture sagging, eyes dead. “Ihateyou.”
“I know.”
“I’m going to Alison’s. I expect you to be gone by the time I get home tomorrow.”
I nod. “I’ll talk to your parents.”
She shakes her head, jaw clenched. “No. Don’t say a word. Just get your stuff and get out. Don’t let them see you. No explanation. No goodbye.”
“Blair—”
“I saidno.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
Chapter Fifty-One
Alice
It’s never too late, until it is.
“I’ve fallenout of love with you.”
I grin, setting the day’s floral arrangement on the dining room table while Mr. Morrison frowns at his bowl of heart-healthy oatmeal with fresh berries and sweetened with local honey.
“Did you know there’s a book calledWhy We Are Carnivores & How Plants Try to Poison You?”
“I did not.” I laugh.
“We should start it this afternoon. I bet we can get through it before you leave me.”
I refill his coffee. “My work here is about done. I’m not leaving you. I’m setting you free.”
He grumbles something while I exit the room to gather the bedsheets. Blair and Murphy aren’t back yet, so I striptheir bed first. With them wadded in my arms, I step toward the door, but something catches my eye. It’s the half-empty closet. Blair’s clothes are hanging in their spot, but there’s not a single item that belongs to Murphy.
I glance at the desk. His computer is gone as well as his black backpack. What’s going on?
Just as I pass the stairs on my way to the laundry room, Vera appears at the top.
“Good morning,” I say.
She presses her lips together and shakes her head, eyes red with tears.
“Oh, are you okay?” I set the sheets on the floor and climb the stairs.
She shakes her head a half dozen times, then presses the pads of her fingers to her eyes. I hold open my arms, and she accepts my hug.
“He left her,” Vera whispers in a shaky voice. “Murphy called off the wedding.” She chokes on a sob.
My head swims.
He called off the wedding. His clothes are gone.
He’s gone.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Alice
