Page 134 of Safe With You

So I did.

Mama was halfway through telling me about a woman from church when my phone vibrated beside my plate.

I glanced down automatically.

Ellis.

His name sat across the screen above a picture notification.

My attention lingered for half a second before I looked back at Mama.

“—and I told her if she wants all those books, she needs to call you herself because I’m not carrying a list back and forth.”

“What books?”

Mama stopped.

Daddy looked at me.

I blinked. “What?”

“I just told you.”

“Oh.”

Her eyes dropped toward my phone before returning to my face.

I reached for my tea. “Sorry. What’d you say?”

“That woman from church wants to order books for her women’s group.”

“Tell her to email me.”

“I did.”

“Then we’re good.”

Mama gave me a look but reached for her glass instead.

Daddy laughed from the other end of the table.

I looked between them. “Why is everybody in my life suddenly not saying anything?”

“Don’t bring me into it,” Daddy said. “I’m eating.”

My phone vibrated again.

This time Mama’s eyebrows lifted.

I ignored her and picked it up.

Ellis had sent a picture.

Mila sat cross-legged on their living-room floor, surrounded by construction paper, crayons, and markers. The page in front of her held a purple dragon with orange wings, four uneven legs, and enough red crayon around its mouth to suggest the entire house might currently be on fire.

Beneath it was a message.

This is your fault.