he key in the front door. Liam walked in, looking tired

k ashamed, but it was a s

nning a hand through his mes

d of emotion. I was standing by the kitchen

. She was really upset. I ended

oe' s cloying perfume on him from across the ro

l like her

va, come on. Not

t night when you walked out that door with her. Now you' re going to take a shower. I want every trace of he

to watch, for when a character came back from being compromised by t

nger. "You can' t be s

ipulative liar over your own child. So you don' t ge

a flicker of surprise in his eyes at my newfound steel.

entryway table where he' d dropped it. My fingers moved auto

t on a messaging app. The name of the group was "The Boys' Clu

ough the messages

ere are you? Pa

damage control.

to calm her down. She' s a s

was painting me as the

ttom of the screen. It was from Chloe.

being so sweet last night. Lia

y new place. Just us cool kids. Liam, you and your bo

. Humiliating me in front of his friends. She was trying

time. The brunch

o form in my mind. She wanted t

had always loved. I did my hair. I put on makeup. Not the subtle, everyday look, but the

d his waist, I was standing in the living room,

ou look... amazing. W

, picking up my keys.

te. I stood on my toes and kissed him. It wasn' t a

d hi," I whispere

the door, leaving him standin

where Mark and the others always met up before going anyw

in surprise whe

are you doing here? We were

"Liam' s running a little late. He se

and self-deprecating. I joked about how intense I get with my work. I told them how much I ap

I could see their attitudes shifting. They were relaxing, laughing with me. I w

my purse. A private

d why are his friends sud

ed to

hat are y

out, looking stressed. He saw me sitting with his friends, saw u

smile. "There you are, honey!

sed my own charisma, my own

, my phone buzzed again. A

think you' r

isn' t over

t, and then I did something

ed her

digitally erased her from my life. It was a small, simple a

am, I surreptitiously checked

own was st

TO FULL ACTIVA

getting