My father’s voice was quiet. “And fifth, we make sure you are safe.”
“I’m not afraid of him,” I said quickly.
“I know.” He looked at me with the kind of tenderness that almost undid me again. “But people who feel exposed don’t always behave like the people we thought we knew.”
At that exact moment, my phone began to vibrate on the table.
Elias.
His name appeared over our wedding photo, a picture taken only hours earlier. In it, he was looking at me like I was the center of his life.
The phone rang until it stopped.
Then again.
Then a text appeared.
Where are you?
Another.
Ella, this isn’t funny.
Then:
My mom said she saw you leave. Did something happen?
I stared at the words, feeling strangely calm.
“He’s already adjusting the story,” Rebecca said.
My father reached for the phone, then stopped himself. “May I?”
