Page 64 of The Square

“It’s not about Eliza,” Christine snaps. Rage in her voice. “It’s not about her kid either.”

“Then… what?”

“I just need to leave.”

Now it’s my turn to sigh. “Well, that’s the plan. Let’s grab Alec and go.” I see her words before she speaks them and hold up a hand to shut her up. “Fuck you. We’re not leaving him behind. He’s not here for Eliza. Or the kid. He’s here because we brought him here. I’m sure he’s got lots of questions and I’m sure his answers will be coming. But I want my fucking answers too. Right the fuck now. And if you can’t give them to me here, then we’re leaving. So get up, put on your big girl panties, and stop acting like a goddamn child.”

Footsteps on the path make us both look up. Christine tenses up so bad, I have a moment of panic that the interloper is Eliza.

But it’s not, it’s Charlie.

“Dude, I thought I told you I got this.”

He doesn’t even look at me. He only has eyes for Christine.

“You never told him, did you?” Charlie asks.

“Shut up,” Christine snaps.

“Told me what?” I say. “Did you two—”

“No,” Christine says.

But Charlie says, “Yes,” in that same moment.

And I don’t how I know they’re talking about two different things, so both these answers make perfect sense, but I do.

They didn’t do what I was asking about. Meaning they didn’t date, or fuck, or whatever.

They did something else. Something Charlie seems to want to talk about and Christine clearly doesn’t.

How much did I miss in those four empty years?

“You got something to say?” I ask Charlie. “Because now would be a really good time to fill me in.”

“Don’t you dare,” Christine seethes.

Charlie puts up his hands. A gesture that says, I won’t. But you need to.

My phone buzzes a text. I glance down at the screen and read it.

“OK,” I say, getting up and pulling Christine to her feet. She resists for a second, which is dumb—she’s the one who wants to leave—but relents. “The driver’s here. So we’re going inside, grabbing Alec, and going somewhere else.”

I don’t wait for an answer, just tug Christine past Charlie and head back toward the house on the dark slate path. Inside it’s quiet and we find Alec and Eliza at some sort of standstill in the kitchen. Christine yanks her hand from mine, picking up her pace, and marches on through towards the front door.

I say, “Come on, Alec. The driver’s here. We’re leaving.”

And then the moment does come. The one Christine was dreading. I’m glad she’s not here to witness it, because there is a split second where Alec considers this.

It’s fair, his consideration. Because anyone, in any situation, even ones that don’t involve ex-girlfriends and secret babies, would need this split second to decide if they were staying or going.

But I get her point.

To Alec’s credit he just says, “Hundreds,” and heads after Christine without a second glance back at Eliza.

She stares at me. Glares at me. A look of hate that’s probably meant for Alec but lands with me since he’s already gone.

I just turn and follow him outside. Christine is already getting in to the back of the limo, but Alec is saying something to Russell as he walks past. “Get them somewhere safe. I’ll be in touch.”