Page 27 of Our Daughter's Bones
Mackenzie’s breath caught in her throat. She spun in her seat and saw her husband walk in with a friend. “Shit.”
Before Mackenzie could think of an excuse, Sterling spotted her. Being the good-natured man he was, he walked toward the table. “How’s everyone doing?” One by one, he greeted them. Mackenzie watched closely as he shook Nick’s hand. Sterling beamed at him. But Nick’s smile was forced. “What’s the occasion?”
“We paid off the mortgage on our houseafter fifteen long years. I thought Mackenzie would have told you!”
“Must have slipped my mind. That’s excellent. Congratulations!”
“Thank you, but did you lie to your wife to get out of coming here?” Pam poked him in the chest. “She said you were too sick, but here you are with your friend.”
Sterling wavered. He scratched his temple and glanced at Mackenzie. “I-I wasn’t feeling well earlier today, but my friend dragged me.”
Mackenzie sighed, but Sterling’s face had changed—dimmed. He sneaked a peek at her. He knew. It made her feel small.
“Why don’t you and your friend join us?” Pam offered.
“Of course.”
The drive back home had been chilly enough for goosebumps to sprout over Mackenzie’s skin. The heater in the car was working fine. Soothing music played. But she feared going home and facing Sterling. He had barely looked at her at the bar. He’d left early, stating “he wasn’t feeling well again.”
Only Mackenzie—and Nick, much to her dismay—knew that his excuse was bullshit. Butthis timeshe appreciated Nick’s silence.
She turned off the engine. Through the window, she saw the light of the living room was turned on, and Sterling’s silhouette sat on the couch. The cold air bit into her. She felt the skin under her eyes crack. It was too dry for Washington. Idly, she wondered where she had stored her humidifier.
She walked in and saw Sterling’s back stiffen. She didn’t say anything yet. She hung her jacket and put her keys away. But her movements were slow and measured.
“Sorry about today.” She spoke to his back. He had changed into his pajamas. He sat with his elbows digging into his knees. “I forgot to invite you.”
“Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was?” he said quietly.
She shook her head and headed to the kitchen. “Yes, but we managed it. No one realized anything.”
“That’s not the point, Mack. And maybe they did but were being polite.”
She poured herself some water and faced him. His eyes were round like saucers. He gritted his teeth behind his closed lips. She knew it irked him even more that she wasn’t groveling.
“It’s not a big deal, Sterling. I was asked two weeks ago, and I got very busy with work. It happens.”
“It happens? You forgetting to include your husband justhappens?”
She rolled her eyes. She felt his wrath. She saw his body quake slightly. But she felt powerful for not giving him what he wanted—a reaction. “We aren’t in high school. You’re getting mad that I forgot to invite you to something. We’re adults with busy lives. Mistakes happen. I apologized. Let’s move on.”
She picked up her bag and decided to head to the study to work, but Sterling stood up and barreled toward her. “This isn’t just about tonight. You’ve been acting strange for the last two months! This was just the tipping point.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sterling. Sorry your pride was wounded in front of my coworkers. If you think I’ve been acting strange for the last few weeks then you should have said something before. Interesting how you chose to wait till now to have this conversation with me.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that mystrangebehavior only bothered you when other people came into the picture, and you felt embarrassed.”
He clasped his fingers around the back of his head. “What are you saying? What has gotten into you?!”
Who did you get into, Sterling?She bit back the words, her tongue feeling heavy. She couldn’t even waggle it. It sat like a chunk of iron in her mouth. He stared at her, his eyes searching hers. Was he nervous? Was he suspecting that he’d been caught?
Suddenly, she was hot all over. Her gut felt like it had been torched with gasoline. Blood pounded hard to her face. Her veins swelled, ready to explode. She considered smashing her fist into his nose. How dare he makeherfeel small? How dare he demand anything from her? He wanted her to grovel after whathehad done?
Instead, she decided to humiliate him. She laughed. She laughed in his face.
Her laughter was slightly bitter and forced. But Sterling didn’t notice. He blinked furiously.
