I turned around and glanced at the empty box sitting on the counter, then looked at Avery. “Worked hard? You popped a frozen lasagna into the oven. Yes, I appreciate you cooking because it’s so rare that you do, but you didn’t work hard on preparing a meal for the three of us to eat.”
“Thanks for that.”
“It’s true, Avery. You’re seeking credit when credit isn’t due. I can’t help but wonder what you want from me now. I figured out a long time ago that when you’re being exceptionally nice, then you want something. So what is it this time?”
“Fuck you, Zac!” she snapped. Then she threw down the plate that she was holding. It shattered in the bottom of the kitchen sink and made Malcolm jump and hold on to me tighter.
“It’s okay, son. Mommy is just tired so we’re gonna let her rest. Would you like to go swimming with me?” I asked him.
He searched my eyes and then said a shaky, “Yes.”
“Okay, let’s go put on our swimsuits.”
“Can Stevie go swimming with us?”
I looked over at Avery still fuming next to the kitchen sink. “I wish she could. It’d be so much fun to swim with a mermaid,” I said.
“I’m going back to Lubbock tomorrow, Zac.”
“Big surprise there.”
“I need you to transfer some money over to my debit account before I leave.”
“And there it is. That’s what you want from me. Don’t worry, I’ll have it in your account tonight. And next time, Avery—just tell me what you want and spare me your wifely theatrics. They aren’t necessary—just like your presence here at this house.”
She flipped me her middle finger and then left the kitchen. I already knew she’d be in the guest bedroom for the rest of the evening except for coming back to the kitchen to make herselfanother vodka and orange juice. The less I had to see her, the better.
After getting Malcolm and myself dressed to go swimming, I took the lasagna out of the oven and left it sitting on the stovetop. My stomach was in knots and I couldn’t have eaten if I tried. Malcolm wasn’t hungry either, so the two of us walked outside into the backyard and got into the pool.
He had on his floaties even though he was capable of swimming without them. He was like a little fish and water was his natural habitat—then it hit me. He was a Pisces. A water sign. I hadn’t ever thought about the significance of that until now, and it was all due to a beautiful blond mermaid named Stevie Sinclair.
12
#eavesdropping
Stevie
WHEN I WOKEup, I was shocked to see that it was after 9:00 a.m. I’d never slept in this late before. My body apparently needed the rest and I did feel refreshed. I also felt like taking a run. It’d been three days since my last one and I didn’t like going any longer than that if I could help it.
It was Sunday morning and I didn’t expect the trail to be as busy as I’d seen it before during the afternoon and evening. I preferred it when I didn’t have to keep an eye on so many people as we passed by each other. Especially those who ran around me from behind. When I arrived at the trail, I immediately took off running, looking forward to getting a runner’s high. I loved it when my body’s stamina kicked into overdrive like that. It always made me feel as if I could run forever.
After clocking two miles, I called it quits. That was enough exercise for today, but I didn’t stop moving. I kept walking along the trail, allowing my heart rate to slow down and my body to cool off. I’d just taken another sip from my water bottle when I heard a voice in the woods ahead of me, on the right. It was a man’s voice, and even from this distance, I could tell that he was angry about something. His tone made that very clear.
I kept walking until I came to where he was, although I couldn’t see him due to the density of the trees blocking my view. I probably shouldn’t have done it, but I stopped to eavesdrop on the conversation the man was having with someone on his cellphone, which he happened to have on speaker. After listening for only a handful of seconds, I quietly gasped because I recognized the man’s voice and I also realized whom he was arguing with because he called her by name.
It was Zac who’d walked off the running trail and into the privacy of the trees to have a heated conversation with his wife, Avery. I could hear her screaming at him, telling him that she hated him, hated her life with him, and also that she didn’t know when she was coming back from Lubbock. Zac told her to do whatever she felt like she needed to do and that he was going to do the same for himself and Malcolm.
I didn’t know if it was Zac or Avery who hung up first, but their conversation ended—evidenced by their back-and-forth hurling of words coming to a sudden stop. Then I heard Zac blow out a heavy breath, followed by him saying, “Fuck my life.” It was the same thing that I’d said after watching Graham drive away from our house after I confronted him about his affair with Emma.
I gave Zac a moment to gather his composure and then started making my way to where he was standing among the trees. As soon as he saw me, his eyes got big with surprise, and then he perched his hands on his waist and looked down at the ground. He was embarrassed. I continued approaching him anyway and came to a standstill directly in front of him.
“Zac, are you okay?” I asked.
He cut his eyes up at me and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know what I am right now, Stevie, but I am so sorry about you hearing however much it was of the conversation that I just hadwith my wife. I didn’t intend for anyone to hear a word of it. That’s why I’m back here.”
“I’m the only one who heard your conversation and I happened to walk up during the last part of it. There’s no need to apologize, either.”
I searched his troubled eyes and could see traces of anger still in them. Then I noticed something else. It was his bottom lip. There was a small, puffy cut on the left side of it that wasn’t there yesterday, and I had a good idea of where it came from.