Page 68 of Mine

“Why is it strange?”

“What you told me about when you were a kid. And that girl.”

“You think I should be afraid of fire?”

“Well…”

“There isn’t anything I’m more afraid of,” I said. “But fear is one of the most primal emotions. When I’m afraid, I’m awake. You can’t run away from things you’re afraid of.”

A moment passed. The flames danced in her eyes.

“I wish—”

She cut off her sentence, and I took her hand in mine across the small table. She looked up at me with a gleam of tears in her eyes.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I wish this wasn’t a prison. I wish I had met you somewhere else.”

“If you had met me somewhere else, I wouldn’t have seen the real you, would I?”

“No. No, I suppose not.” She cast her eyes downwards. “Have you decided what you’re going to do with me?”

“I’m working on it.”

She bit her lip, and I wanted to hold her and tell her that it would all be fine. But of course I didn’t know if it would be.

“Sara, I need to ask you something.”

“Yes?”

She looked up hopefully.

“You talked with Mr. Steadhill about his wife.”

The fire in her eyes died. She swallowed another sip of wine, but I could still see the disappointment in her face. I hated to disappoint her. Hopefully, after tonight, I wouldn’t have to.

“Yes,” she said.

“Did you ever meet her?”

“No.”

“Do you know where she is?”

“Susan? No. I have no idea.”

“What else did he say to you about her?”

“We just talked about what she was like. How she acted. So that I could act like her.”

“Did he mention her going anywhere? Maybe in hiding?”

“No. I didn’t even know they were in the witness protection program until he told you,” Sara said. She shifted in her seat. “He said they had been fighting.”

“Maybe another house she owns? A favorite hotel?”

Sara looked up at me, her eyes narrowing.

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