If She Dies by Therme Erik

Author:Therme, Erik [Therme, Erik]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thecker Books
Published: 2021-02-20T23:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-THREE

Josh wins the first game of Scrabble, I win the next, and halfway through the third game, I suspect he’s taking it easy on me. His vocabulary has always exceeded mine. He’s a voracious reader when he has the time, and he always has an audiobook playing during his commute. Josh does most of the talking as we play, telling stories about growing up in Harlow that I’ve probably already heard and forgotten, and I struggle to stay focused on his words and the game. My mind is fixed on Lily’s things upstairs. I want to do right by my husband, and even though the thought of getting rid of any of Lily’s things still makes my stomach churn, I know it would go a long way toward showing Josh I’m committed to our marriage. A gesture of good faith. It wouldn’t even have to be anything personal or sentimental. Maybe just a handful of books or a few toys. Don’t I owe him that much, especially since he backtracked and said I could keep everything?

“Tess?”

It’s my turn to play a word, and I’ve been inside my head too long, staring into nothingness.

“My letters are terrible,” I say, quickly scanning my tiles, looking for anything. I add an E to the board to make the word WE from an existing word. It’s a terrible play, but I want to pass the moment. Josh, on the other hand, is studying me with a frown.

“We can stop,” he says. “You’re winning anyway. We’ll give this last game to you. Good job.”

I manage a feeble smile as I reach for his score pad. “I’m winning? I thought you said no more lies.”

“I’m not lying,” he says, turning over the pad and returning it to the box with a guilty grin. “And I didn’t say no more lies—I said no more secrets.”

There’s a knock on the door.

“I got it,” Josh says as we both rise from the table. My heart thumps inside my chest, and I force myself to stay where I am, even though I want to run past Josh and answer it myself because it’s going to be Colin. It has to be.

But when Josh opens the door, it’s only Ms. Witt, looking as disheveled and anxious as always . . . and holding an envelope.

A red envelope.

“Can I help you?” Josh asks.

“Hello, Ms. Witt,” I say, moving past Josh. “Thanks so much for bringing this by. I appreciate it.”

I close the door before giving her a chance to respond, cursing myself under my breath. I should have known this would happen. I should have just waited and taken the damn letter from her in our driveway yesterday.

“Our neighbor?” Josh asks.

“Yes,” I say, and let out a shaky laugh. I hold the envelope at my side, trying to keep it out of sight. “Ms. Witt. She said some mail of ours got delivered to her by accident.”

Josh nods as he leans to the side. “Fancy envelope. We getting Christmas cards already?”

I laugh again, a high, squeaky sound that’s clearly forced.

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