Page 81 of Two Couples

What could Jordan do once she opened the door and saw us standing there together? Would she slam the door in our faces and decide to approach her mother alone, or not at all? It was the not-at-all I was concerned about. I stood, smiled, and kissed Patrick.

After my shower, I dressed in jeans and a pale gray T-shirt. I put on sneakers instead of my usual sandals or flip-flops. Was my gut whispering that I might have to run? Or fight, requiring solid footing? I hoped not, but my instinctive choice unsettled me.

I limited myself to a single cup of coffee so I didn’t become jittery, or talk too much. I ate oatmeal and two strips of the bacon Patrick had made while I was in the shower. Seeing all the bacon in the warming drawer made me relax further, knowing he’d put in some effort to be amicable.

As I stood at the sink, sipping the last of my coffee, I heard bare feet on the tile floor. I turned.

“Hi.” Emily had dark circles under her eyes. Were they also red along the edges? She trudged to the coffee pot and filled a mug. “Keith wants to go home,” she said.

“Oh, no. Please don’t. We…” I didn’t know if I should tell her the plans I’d made with Jordan. It wouldn’t be good if Emily feared for my safety and insisted I couldn’t go alone.

“Not me,” she said. “He wants to go home without me. He thinks we need time apart from each other.”

I put my mug into the sink and leaned on the counter. “Why? I don’t… I thought you two were solid. More than solid. You’re unbreakable.”

“Apparently not.”

“But why?”

“I don’t want to get into it. I was up most of the night.” She whimpered softly. “I can’t be here without him. I can’t… he doesn’t trust me.”

“That’s crazy. Why wouldn’t he trust you?”

She glanced toward the doorway. “I can’t talk about it right now. I just know I need him. I don’t want time apart. We need to have a serious conversation, I guess. We need to hold each other. Reconnect. But at the same time, basically what we’re fighting about is that he’s too controlling.”

“I’ve never had that impression.”

“It’s complicated.” She blew on her coffee and took a sip.

“Emily!” Keith’s voice bellowed down the stairs, carrying into the kitchen at a volume that made me feel as if he was standing beside me. A moment later, he appeared in the doorway.

“Where are my keys? And my phone?”

“I can’t do this without you,” Emily said softly. “I want our vacation. I want you. We need to talk.”

“You had your chance to talk. Where are my keys? And I still have my tablet, so don’t think you managed to cut me off completely.”

“Please don’t go. Please, can we just⁠—”

“I should get going,” I said. “I made plans to⁠—”

Keith talked over me as if I hadn’t been speaking. “I’m going back upstairs and if you’re not there in five minutes to show me where my shit is, I’m calling an Uber.”

“Please,” Emily whispered.

I didn’t want to listen to or get dragged into their fight. Knowing they were at this point sickened me. This couldn’t be happening. But I couldn’t deal with it right now. I had to get to Jordan’s. She’d promised to answer the door when I knocked at eight sharp. “I’m going to see Jordan. We⁠—”

“I thought you’d realize how desperate I am to have you stay,” Emily said.

Keith left the room, ready to make good on his promise.

Emily had tears in her eyes as she took several quick sips of her coffee.

“I should go.” I felt heartless saying this, but it had to be taken care of. Keith wasn’t going anywhere before I returned. He wouldn’t be able to make arrangements that quickly. I hoped to be back within fifteen or twenty minutes. I gave Emily a quick, awkward hug, telling her I’d be back soon. She didn’t seem to notice the hug or my words. She followed me out of the kitchen, carrying her mug, headed toward the stairs.

As I walked to Linda’s house, I felt exposed, wondering if she was watching me approach. Jordan hadn’t planned to tell her I was coming. All I needed to do was tap lightly on their door and she would answer.

As I drew closer, my hands began to shake. My heart seemed to be shaking along with them. What if Linda knew? Somehow. What if she’d forced Jordan to tell her what was going on? Jordan might have returned home with a confidence she hadn’t shown before, or more likely, incredible fear. If Linda saw that in her, she might have hounded her until Jordan broke, telling her what she suspected.