Safe with Me: A Novel by Hatvany Amy

Author:Hatvany, Amy [Hatvany, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: 2014-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

Olivia

On Monday morning, James brings Olivia breakfast in bed. “Wake up, beautiful,” he says as he sets a tray on the bed next to her. “The breakfast fairy has been hard at work.”

“What’s all this for?” she asks as she braces her arms behind her and uses them to push herself up into a sitting position. A glance at the clock tells her it’s six thirty—she slept through her alarm, and she can hear the water running in Maddie’s bathroom.

James takes the napkin and sets it carefully across Olivia’s lap. “Do I need a reason to spoil my wife?” He moves the tray over her legs and lifts up a cup of coffee for her to take from him. “Two Splendas, no milk. Right?”

Olivia smiles and gently retrieves the white mug from his hands. “Right.” She takes a small sip and gives him another smile. “And of course you don’t need a reason. Thank you, honey.” She wishes she could just accept this loving gesture from her husband at face value, the way she used to, instead of wondering what his motives might be.

“You’re welcome,” he says as he picks up the fork and scoots a bite of scrambled egg whites onto its tines. “It’s the least I can do for my amazing wife.” He hands her the fork, watching as she chews. “Good?”

“Very,” Olivia says, nodding.

“I was thinking we should all take a cooking class together. Maybe Thai food, since Maddie loves it so much.”

Olivia sets her fork onto her plate and sips at her coffee. “Really? You could find the time?”

James nods. “It might not be until the first of the year, after the fourth quarter numbers come in, but it would be fun, don’t you think?”

Olivia nods, and James leans over to give her a kiss. “I have to go,” he whispers against her lips. “But I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be front,” Olivia jokes, and he laughs. A few minutes later, he heads to the office, and even though she knows better, even though she’s been through this with him a hundred times before, Olivia can’t help but wonder if she really needs to leave him after all.

• • •

A few minutes before ten o’clock, after dropping Maddie off at school, Olivia walks into her criminology class with her belly squirming. She wonders if this is how Maddie felt her first day at Eastside Prep, twitchy and insecure, wishing she could melt right into the floor. The room buzzes with the low hum of conversation, punctuated by the occasional squeals of girls closer to Maddie’s age than to Olivia’s. Eyeing the boys wearing jeans that ride low on their skinny hips, exposing the tops of their boxers, she has to squelch the motherly urge to tell them to pull up their pants.

What the hell am I doing here? Olivia thinks as her fellow students file through the wide double doors and into their seats in Whitaker Hall, practically carrying her along with them. James was so sweet to me this morning.

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