Page 46 of Hidden Gem
She felt him slow to a stop and caught the glow of the red traffic light in the corner of the window. His shoulders shook as he laughed. “Your daughter’s a riot.”
“I worry about her,” she confessed. “Or, rather, I worry about us. She despises me. I fear that one day she’ll move out and I’ll never hear from her again.”
Jason’s voice was reassuring. “She’s a teenager. They’re self-absorbed by nature. It usually passes.”
Marnie huffed. “I hope so. I feel like I have no part in her life. Other than being a chauffeur, maybe. And the one who hands out money. She doesn’t include me in anything.”
“Do you include her?”
Marnie lifted her head, taken aback. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, do you ask for her opinion, or help? One thing I learnt about teens in my teacher days is that they want to feel like they’re contributing.”
“Huh.” She’d never thought of that. Maybe her troubles with Tanya were partly her own doing. “I’ve been trying to teach her to be more self-sufficient, but that just seems to make things worse between us.”
“Yeah. Teaching teenagers is hard. Sometimes it’s counter intuitive. At best, you can inspire them to learn about something and then let them teach you.”
Marnie’s mouth curved at the thought. What could Tanya teach her? How to waste hours at the mall? How to walk and text at the same time?
She glanced at the rear-view mirror, and the concern in Jason’s eyes made her own well up.
“How is she with her father?” he asked.
Marnie sighed. “She doesn’t spend much time with him. His new partner doesn’t like having her around, and I just don’t have the heart to force it. Steve doesn’t care, I think it’s just easier for him this way. He never really fought for custody.”
“He sounds...” Jason cleared his throat.
“What?” Marnie peered from under the blanket at his side profile, a sick feeling in her stomach. She hated being the one cast aside, the one not deemed good enough. She’d told herself it was Steve, not her. But it was like that message couldn’t reach her on a cellular level.
“Well, he sounds like a self-absorbed dick,” Jason summed up. “But I’m glad he had the decency to set you free. Some guys will try to have their cake and... you know. Wife, mistress, the works.”
Marnie shuddered. She imagined being still married, with Steve hustling other women on the side. That would be worse. She hadn’t been happy in their marriage either, tiptoeing around his moods, swallowing his disappointments. He could have stolen the rest of her life.
“I never told him, but I think I wanted out, too,” she whispered. “I didn’t have a chance to say it, because he was so much further on with his plans.”
“I know the feeling,” he said, his eyes on the road. “But I hate being the bad guy. It’s always easier if the other person pulls the plug and you get to be the aggrieved party with no guilt.”
“I suppose. I just felt like I was completely worthless.” Her voice choked up and she tried to cover it up by shuffling under the blanket.
The car slowed down and came to a stop. Judging by the shade, they were on a side street, under some mature trees. Marnie sat up, glancing out the window. There were no other cars nearby. Jason turned off the engine and joined her on the backseat, reaching out for her. His glistening eyes took her by surprise. Wasn’t he supposed to be hard-boiled, slippery and untouchable, like all politicians?
Marnie peeled off the blanket and let him pull her into his arms.
“I really hope you don’t feel like that with me,” he said.
Marnie inhaled a lungful of his scent. “No. I mean, it’s great that you can sleep when I’m around. That’s worth something.”
Jason pulled away and his forehead wrinkled. “Is that what you think? Do you think the only reason I like you is that you help me sleep?”
“Well, I get that it’s important. If I can help you in any way, I will. But without the sleep thing, would we have anything? Would you still have looked for me? I can’t help these thoughts. Sorry.”
Jason’s fingers gently tugged her hair, turning her to face him. “No, no, no! I hate that you’d think that. I know it sounds that way, but I’ve been into you from the moment we met. Before I even knew about your superpowers. Sorry, I shouldn’t say that. I can’t help seeing it that way.”
“Why do you think it is, though?” Marnie whispered. She seemed to have lost her voice somewhere deep inside. “Maybe it’s my scent, like the shampoo I use, or something like that. If you could get the same effect by sniffing a bottle, wouldn’t that be a whole lot easier? You wouldn’t have to drag me around and risk media finding out. If they discover my age, my illness, the fact that I’m divorced... It won’t be good for either of us. And you have more to lose.”
“No! Not true. Without you, I’ll lose it anyway.” His grim voice took her by surprise. He looked menacing, the shadows growing and changing shape behind his eyes. He wove his fingers through hers, staring at their tangled hands. “I’m so close to quitting. I can’t do this without sleep. I’m going to lose it for good.”
Tears pooled in his eyes and his hands squeezed hers, like a drowning man holding onto a raft. “I know it’s not what you deserve. It’s not the beautiful, perfect love affair. I’m broken. I’m a shadow of myself. Sometimes, I hear this buzzing, these faint voices in my head...” He dropped his chin to his chest, swaying his head.
