Chapter 5
He looked tired.
If Daniel had never called, I would have believed every inch of him.
Lucas leaned down and kissed my forehead.
“You okay?”
“Fine.”
“You eat?”
“I saved you dinner.”
“You’re amazing.”
The words landed strangely.
He carried his laptop bag upstairs and returned without it.
Another part of the costume put away.
I watched him reheat the salmon.
He stood in front of the microwave and rubbed the back of his neck.
“I swear, that quarterly review is going to kill me.”
I leaned against the counter.
“Busy?”
“Brutal.”
“Still changing numbers?”
He laughed without humor.
“You wouldn’t believe it. Half the report was basically finished and Warren decided we need to restructure everything.”
The lie was effortless.
That frightened me almost as much as the lie itself.
Lucas wasn’t stumbling.
He wasn’t searching for words.
He had details ready.
Complaints ready.
Frustration ready.
Maybe he had rehearsed them in the car.
Maybe he had spent the drive home deciding exactly what kind of day he had supposedly survived.
I waited until he sat down.
He took a bite of salmon.
I sat across from him.
“Everyone else still there?”
“Pretty much.”
“Your whole team?”
“Most of them.”
I watched him chew.
Then I gave him one final opportunity.
“Your boss was there with you?”
“Unfortunately.”
I looked directly into his eyes.
“Funny.”
His fork slowed.
“I talked to him today.”
Lucas stopped moving.
Not gradually.
Completely.
The tired expression disappeared.
His fork remained suspended above the plate.
His eyes fixed on mine.
I watched the calculation begin behind them.
Not confusion.
Calculation.
That hurt more than I expected.
He didn’t ask what Daniel had said.
He asked, “Why did Warren call you?”
The question answered another one I hadn’t asked.
Lucas knew exactly how dangerous that call was.
“He was trying to reach you.”
Lucas lowered his fork.
“He wanted to know if you were feeling better.”
His face changed.
Just slightly.
But I saw it.
Then I said, “He told me you took the entire day off.”
The refrigerator hummed behind us.
Lucas stared at the counter.
I waited.
Seconds passed.
Five.
Ten.
Fifteen.
He finally had the opportunity to tell me the truth.
I stepped closer.
“If you weren’t at the office…”
Lucas looked up.
“Where were you?”
My husband opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
And went completely silent.
THE THURSDAY HE WAS NEVER AT THE OFFICE
PART 2: THE FIRST TRUTH