Page 32 of The Atonement
I did know something.
Something important.
Lifting my phone from where it rested in the center console, I opened my call log and clicked on her name, then waited. I was breaking my promise to myself, but I didn’t care. This was more important.
“Hello?”
I was silent, thinking I’d somehow imagined it. I never expected her to actually answer. I’d been preparing to leave her a voicemail, one I knew she’d have to respond to, but this… I didn’t know how to—
“Hello?” She sounded impatient.
“Ainsley?”
“Who else would it be?”
“I didn’t think you’d answer.”
“At least one of us can answer the phone. We should meet.”
Now I was convinced I was dreaming. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“When?”
“Now. I’ll come to you. Where are you?”
“That doesn’t work for me.”
There was the woman I knew. “Well, gosh, when can you pencil me in?”
“Tomorrow. Ten a.m.”
“Where?”
“The house.”
“Fine.” I fought against the urge to mention that I knew she’d stolen our money. I needed her to show up, after all. I had to be civilized. “You good?”
She was quiet for a moment, so quiet I thought she was going to hang up, but then she said, “Did you just ask if I’mgood?”
“Yeah, I just… I miss you. I miss the kids. Are you all okay?”
“Don’t make this something it isn’t, Peter. I’m meeting you because there are things we need to discuss, that’s it.”
“How am Imakingthis anything? I’m just checking on you.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Fine. I won’t.”
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, casting a line of hope. “Bring the kids. Please.”
“I won’t be doing that.”
I hadn’t expected any different, but I had to ask. “Fine. Just…tell them I miss them, okay?”
“Goodbye, Peter.”
