Page 48 of The Banned Books Club

Since there was more to be found on the clinic’s account, Gia took her time scrolling through and eventually found a picture of a slightly younger Cormac, standing shoulder to shoulder with Dr. Tomlin and announcing the fact that he’d be taking over the practice “after working together for almost a decade.”

Bottom line, Cormac had made good, despite what’d happened with his father. She couldn’t help feeling proud of him—for that and for being open-minded enough to consider the situation from various viewpoints. Too bad he hadn’t done that seventeen years ago, but better late than never.

I wish...I wish he didn’t do it, Cormac had said, but he certainly wasn’t the first person to wish that.

With a yawn, Gia closed her laptop, scooted down in bed and pulled Cormac’s sweatshirt up to her nose. It smelled wonderful—like his cologne—and served as proof that he believed her.

For tonight, anyway. She had no idea what would happen tomorrow.

A few days after Gia’s visit, Margot found herself parked down the street from Cece’s house, far enough away that she needed Sheldon’s hunting binoculars, which she’d gone home to get. Anything closer risked exposure, and there was no way she was going to allow herself to get caught spying on him. Shewouldn’tbe spying on him if she hadn’t tried to drop off the lunch she’d made him—that he’d once again forgotten on the counter—and learned from one of his employees that he’d left claiming he was meetingherfor lunch.

He’d never said anything about getting together today. She’d been planning to spend what time she could, until the boys got out of school, with Gia and her mother. She wanted to be with them as much as possible before she had to leave town for good, because she didn’t know how long it would be before she’d feel safe to contact them after. Once she drove out of Wakefield, no one could know where she was. She was too afraid they wouldn’t take the threat she felt seriously.

Her parents, especially, wouldn’t be able to understand why she and Sheldon couldn’t simply separate and then get a divorce. After all, that was what most other couples did. And she didn’t know how to convince them that something about Sheldon was different from other men. The level of control he demanded over her. The complete domination. And how quickly he could lash out for the slightest infraction. He frightened her in a bone-deep way, but she doubted anyone who hadn’t lived with him as she’d lived with him would believe her. Too many people in Wakefield thought they knew him, including her family. And she’d been complicit in making him look better than he was. She’d thought it was her duty as his wife not to criticize him to others, and she knew how he’d react if she didn’t keep up appearances. That meant Ida and Leo would not only be shocked—they’d probably be skeptical. This would seem liked it was coming out of nowhere.

Gia would believe he was an asshole, of course. She’d seen him for what he was from the beginning. But her sister wasn’t afraid of him. Gia’s approach wouldn’t be to run and hide, and anything short of that risked a severe backlash. In the worst-case scenario, Sheldon would use his money and his family’s influence to gain custody of the boys.

Margot was afraid that if either her sister or her parents thought she was going too far, they might feel sympathetic to his parents, who would no longer be able to see their grandchildren, and insist she coordinate visitation with Sheldon and his family for the boys. And if she refused, and they let even the smallest piece of information slip, that would enable Sheldon to find her...

She shuddered. He’d be livid, embarrassed on top of everything else. She knew how vindictive that would make him. He’d do all he could to get revenge.

The only way to avoid having her family and friends make decisions she didn’t want them to make was to keep her whereabouts a secret.

She peered through the binoculars again. She could see her husband’s truck parked down the street, but it wasn’t right in front of Cece’s house. He probably thought he was being sly, that no one would notice and make the connection. But she knew he had no reason to be in this neighborhood—no reason other than his former girlfriend.

She was about to get out so she could creep a little closer. If she could snap a picture of them together, it could possibly help her in the future. She was hoping to slip through the gate into Cece’s backyard and get a picture through a window using her zoom lens. But her phone rang, causing her to hesitate just as she was reaching for the door latch.

It was Gia.

Margot almost sent the call to voicemail. But she was nearly an hour late arriving at their parents’ house for lunch. If she didn’t give them an excuse soon, it wouldn’t be easy to justify why she hadn’t been courteous enough to check in.

“Hey, sorry I’m late.” She sounded winded. Her heart had been pounding since she left Sheldon’s office. But that was okay. She knew she probably came off as rushed, which was what she wanted. “I’ve had so many errands. The line wasreallylong at the bank.”

“Food’s growing cold,” Gia complained. “And Mom’s tired. She needs to eat before her nap.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m still fifteen or twenty minutes away. Why don’t you eat without me? I’ll get there as soon as possible and help with the dishes and do laundry. I’ll even clean the bathrooms or whatever you need.”

“You’re offering to clean the bathrooms when you have me on the hook to do it?”

She’d say anything to make Gia happy so she could focus on what she was doing. “I’m the one who’s late. Consider it my peace offering.”

“Fine. You’re forgiven. But hurry. Dad’s been caught up at work, and Mom sleeps most of the time. I’m getting lonely and bored in this town, and you need me to stay.”

“I do,” she admitted. “Just...hang on. I’m coming.”

As she disconnected, she started to get out again but looked up in time to see Sheldon emerge from Cece’s house and jog across the street on a diagonal to his truck.

He was leaving? Already? Depending on which direction he decided to go, he could pass right by her...

“Shit,” she muttered, but she knew she’d only draw more attention if she tried to drive away. All she could do was duck and hope he didn’t notice their Subaru. A lot of people had gray Subarus, but—

Fortunately, she didn’t hear his motor drawing closer, and when she dared to peek over the dashboard, he was no longer there. He must’ve whipped around and gone the other direction.

She was just pressing a hand to her heart, trying to settle her pulse, when her phone went off.

Assuming it was Gia calling to nag her again, she muttered, “I’m coming.” But it was Sheldon.

She stared at his picture on her screen, wondering what she should do. If he’d seen her, he’d be banging on her door—wouldn’t he?

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