Page 130 of The Bad Husband

“We drove through the area,” he says softly, looking into the distance.

Randal shifts his focus to me and studies me in silence.

A question seems to bother him, yet he presses his lips together and pushes it back.

“I haven’t stopped by in a while,” Damon says.

“I noticed that,” Randal replies with a smile.

“I figured you were busy.”

Damon and his generic answers.

“I’m always busy,” the man says.

“It’s not only that,” Damon continues. “I wanted you to meet Lila Skye, in case you know…”

Worry slides over the man’s face as his smile and cheerful disposition completely vanish.

“Something happened?” he asks as if they have an old understanding, one that now also concerns me.

“No,” Damon says dryly. “Not yet,” he adds, unfazed, yet he can’t fool anyone.

I have no idea what they’re talking about, yet one thing is clear to me. Something has happened over this past hour.

Damon was in a different mood when I walked into his office.

I tense up while Randall sets his drink down.

“What happened to Henrietta?” the man asks.

He gives Randall a cold smile.

“Nothing. Things have stayed the same.”

A prickle of unease moves through me.

Randal flicks his eyes to me as if having an epiphany.

“Some things will never change,” he murmurs before drinking beer again.

A few moments pass, thickening the silence, and then Damon speaks again.

“If anything happens, you know what to do.”

Randall freezes in contemplation while I move my eyes between the two of them.

What is Damon talking about? If anything happens in general? To him? To me?

It can’t be me.

Eventually, Randall lifts up a soft hand.

“Nothing will happen. You’ve been through this before. Things like this come and go.” He pushes a smile to his lips. “Storms have always come and gone, and yet, we’re still here standing.”

With that cryptic conclusion, their secret conversation ends before they chat about the weather, Randall’s health, his work around the house, and family members I’m not familiar with.

We leave an hour later.