Page 5 of The Oligarch's Daughter

“So why does he not want to go to school?

“He tells her that kids have been saying mean things to him.”

“Like?”

“‘Underwear Head.’”

He forced himself to smile, to push his preoccupation aside. He wasn’t going to tell her yet, he’d decided. Not until he had to. Which could be any day . . . but not yet. He didn’t have to do it yet.

“That’s mean, I guess?” he said after a pause. “Have they been saying actual mean things to him?”

“Not in my earshot. Maybe during recess?”

He’d stopped listening. He was thinking: Had Frederick Newman sent a picture of him or a text to his colleagues? To let them know they’d finally found him? If so, both he and Sarah were dead.

That thought was terrifying. He had to get his head back into the conversation.

“Huh.” He was barely paying attention to what she was saying.

“Why aren’t you eating, Grant? You haven’t touched your fish. It’s delicious.”

“Yeah, thanks. What were you saying?”

“You’re not even listening to me. I mean, what is with you? You invite me over for dinner, and you’re somewhere else.”

“Sorry, I’m preoccupied.”

“Something wrong?”

Grant shook his head.

“Why am I not surprised? You’re not there. I feel like I don’t even know who you are sometimes.”

He took another tasteless bite of fish.

“You’re doing that thing you always do—there’s stuff you’re not telling me, you’re always preoccupied. I can’t live like this.”

“I know,” he said quietly.

“I mean, you’re a great guy and everything, but I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this.”

“I know,” he said again. “I understand.”

“But do you? I feel like I have a lot to offer.”

“You do. You’re incredible—”

“Oh, yeah? You never talk about your past. I don’t know a damned thing about you. You never open up to me.”

“I know, I—”

“I can’t live like this.”

“I get it.”

“Something’s missing,” she said. “I just don’t get you.”

He stood up. “I want you to have something.” He went to the cupboard under the kitchen sink and found, behind the Drano, a large Ziploc bag. He handed it to Sarah.

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