Page 14 of The Monster I Loved
Henry, the corporate attorney who knew my felony charge should make that all but impossible, studied me, his eyes narrowed, and he seemed to debate saying something. “Can he do that?”
“He has a plan,” I answered.
Felix patted my shoulder. “I’m sure your old man will find a way.”
We were all seated around the dining table when the doorbell rang. Ashley ran toward the door. “Oh, great. Daisy and Summer must finally be here.”
The room went eerily silent. My stomach knotted. I looked at Henry for an explanation, but he was chasing after his wife. Guess he didn’t tell her who I went to jail for murdering. And, likewise, Summer clearly hadn’t wasted any time talking about me. If she had, Ashley would have known the dinner that she’d put so much effort into was over.
“Ashley, you didn’t,” Henry groaned, hurrying to grab her before she turned the knob.
The poor woman’s face screwed up in confusion. “What?”
“Why did you invite them?” Henry said in a hushed tone, obviously not wanting the two on the other side to overhear.
His wife’s lip parted slowly, and then she glanced from us to the door. “What?”
Just then, the doorbell rang, and Henry looked away from his wife at me.
I blew out a breath and lifted my shoulders. “Open it. I can be civilized, but I can’t speak for Summer.”
Poor Ashley looked even more confused. Henry sighed, clearly losing patience with the whole situation, and pulled the knob open. “Daisy, Summer—sorry, we were...well. Um, come in.”
They stepped a few feet into the house when Summer locked eyes with me. Beside her, the color drained from Daisy’s face. The woman didn’t even blink, just stared at me, then finally back at Summer.
“Shit!”
4
ENEMIES
Summer
I wasn’t even goingto go to the dinner. Felix had let it slip weeks ago that Henry and Ashley were hosting. I assumed it was their annual Halloween-themed gathering to kick off the season and wondered why weeks had passed and I still hadn’t received an invite. They were neighbors and friends. Theyalwaysinvited me to their gatherings, and it stung. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t go on principle. Then, a few days ago, while pushing my shopping cart at the grocery store, Ashley ran into me and cried real tears for the oversight. She thought Henry had invited me, and now, looking at Thaddeus, I knew why he hadn’t. I took a deep breath as the entire room’s eyes were onme. No one stared at the one among us who’d actually murdered someone.Iwas the one they were gawking at. Determined not to let Thaddeus win, I started to take off my jacket.
“Summer, listen, there’s been a mistake,” Henry mumbled.
Daisy echoed his sentiment. “Yeah. Maybe we should go.”
I heard her but waited for Henry to tell her she was crazy. He didn’t. Did he want me to leave? Me? The one who had no bloodon my hands? When he didn’t disagree, I took a deep breath and tried to ignore my embarrassment.
Thank God Ashley jumped to my rescue. “I don’t know what this is all about, but Summer doesn’t have to leave.”
“Nobody has to leave,” Eden, my friend, said. She hurried to take my arm. Wow, it was really the boys against the girls once again, except we’d long left high school. I looked at Felix, challenging him to come to my aid. He’d known me long before he’d ever met Thaddeus. He was clearly working on his routine as a mute. Fuck men.
Eden and Ashley led me to the table decorated with a red tablecloth, black plates, wine glasses, and cutlery. Ashley, bless her heart, had clearly gone all out. Two bottles of red wine sat on the table—not enough to get me through the dinner. I took my seat.
“Okay, let’s do this,” Felix said.
I allowed myself a moment to imagine punching him in the throat. Henry and Ashley whispered together in the corner of the room. He was, I assumed, giving his wife a quick summary of what Thaddeus did, and why he hadn’t invited me. The woman looked between the both of us with a pained expression. Unable to take it, I glanced around at the setting of the decorations. Then I spotted my final breaking point. A banner.“Welcome Home, Thad.”
He didn’t just happen to be at the annual Halloween dinner; this was a welcome-home dinner for him. A welcome-home dinner that myfriendshad thrown for the guy who murdered my father.
“Fucking figures,” I muttered.
Daisy eyed me and whispered, “Please, let’s just go.”
“No,” I said and planted my feet.
