Page 69 of Our Little Secret

“Because of everything!” she nearly yelled, motioning toward the television and the room in general.

“Hey, shh,” he said. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay, Neal. It’snotokay.”

“So you want to go to the school, force your way into the dance, and pull Marilee out of there?”

“Yes!”

“Brooke, that’s crazy.”

“Fine.” She wasn’t going to be dissuaded. She backed toward the door. “If you won’t come with me, I’ll go alone.” She was racing for the garage when he caught her elbow and spun her back to face him.

“Listen to yourself.”

“No, you listen to me!” She yanked her arm away. “I told you, I have this feeling that our daughter is in danger and I’m going to go get her.”

“Just wait.” He found his cell phone lying on his desk and scooped it up. “I’ll text her.”

“And you think she’ll answer? She’s with Nick, for God’s sake! She won’t answer a text from her father! She won’t even have her phone on her.”

“You don’t know that. She always has her phone, lives with it. And she’ll answer this text. Guaranteed.” He was already typing.

“Oh sure.”

“I’m going to tell her that her crazy mother is going to come flying into the dance and rip her out of there if she doesn’t respond.”

“What?”

He was still typing.

“No, Neal, don’t!”

“Too late.” He suddenly looked up at her. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you’re acting like a damned lunatic. I thought we talked this all out in the car after we dropped her off. Has something changed?” he demanded, and for a second, when he looked into her eyes, she thought he knew more than he was admitting.

“I’m just worried.”

“And it’s over the top.” He frowned and eyed his watch. “The dance is over at eleven. We’ll go—together—at ten forty, so we’re there in plenty of time, and we’ll wait for her. Just as we planned.” His phone dinged and he glanced at it.

“Marilee says she’s fine.” He rotated the cell so that she could read the screen, and she saw his text, just asking if she was okay—no reference to Brooke—and then Marilee’s response:I’m fine. Don’t worry!The text was accompanied by a cat emoji with hearts for eyes, Marilee’s favorite. He slipped the phone into his pocket. “Satisfied?”

“No.” But how could she explain her apparent hysteria? “I would just feel better if we went to the school now and saw that she was inside.”

“Where do you think she is?”

“She could be anywhere. Just because she responded doesn’t mean she’s at the dance, just that she’s close enough to a cell tower to get a signal.”

“She’s with Nick,” he said again.

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“Yes! She’s not alone. He’s a good kid, you said so yourself.”

“Then suit yourself. I’m going now.”

“Oh, for the love of—!” He shook his head and his expression turned to stone. “Fine. I’ll come, even though the damned dance won’t be over for an hour! Swear to God, Brooke, I don’t understand what’s gotten into you lately. Sometimes you’re completely irrational.”

She was already heading for the garage. “I guess, then, this is one of those times.”

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