Chapter 37 Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter 37 Chapter Thirty Seven
Nat pov

“Why do you hate Mira?”

Emma’s voice slipped into the quiet hum of the radio.

“What?” I glanced at her in the rearview mirror, my foot slowly easing off the brake. “Why do you think I hate her?”

“I’m sure you do.” She kicked her feet against the seat. “Is it because she’s fat?”

“Em, don’t say that. I don’t hate her.”

“But you sound so mean, like really mean.” She hit the seat again. “I feel you want to hurt her feelings on purpose, and that’s not good.”

I gripped the wheel tighter. I hated how Mirabel had convinced my little sister she was the nice one and I was the monster. Jeremy flashed through my mind, but I shoved the thought away. There was no way she wasn’t involved. How else did she have my key? Why was she everywhere the stalker left a note?

“Mummy said she wants a divorce.” Emma’s voice dropped, quieter now. “I heard her say it.”

My chest tightened instantly, I took slow breaths, trying to loosen the knot.

“You probably misheard, Em,” I mumbled, eyes fixed on the road. “Adults say stuff like that sometimes and don’t mean it.”

“But she was crying.”

“Emma, stop.” I pulled over to the side of the road and turned to face her. “They’re not getting a divorce. And next time you hear Mum and Dad talking like that, tell me first, don’t tell strangers.”

She didn’t argue, just rolled her eyes and went back to looking out the window, her small shoulders pulled in tight, and I let the silence sit there while my brain kept snagging on the word. 

I replayed every strange thing I’d noticed over the past few years. We’d moved back to New Jersey because Dad had cheated on Mum and begged to fix it. Now it looked like history was repeating itself.

I didn’t want any of it to mean what it probably meant. 

“Are we not going again?” Her voice pulled me back to the moment. I blinked, shifted the car into gear, and steered back onto the road.

Thankfully, she didn’t ask any more questions until we reached Aunt Debby’s house.

“Auntie Debby!” Emma screamed, already unbuckling her seatbelt as I parked. She sprinted toward the front door where Debby stood waiting with open arms.

Debby scooped her up, laughing. “How was school? Did you bring any new drawings? Want to see baby Aria’s new tooth?”

“Come in, come in.” She waved me forward over Emma’s shoulder.

“Hi,” I greeted Kenny, Debby’s husband, offering him a small smile as I stepped inside.

“Hey, Nat. How are you?” He grinned and opened his arms, pulling me into a quick side hug before patting my shoulder.

“Great,” I replied, returning the smile.

We moved toward the living room while Debby and Emma headed toward the kitchen.

“Where is baby Aria?” I asked, glancing around the room.

“We just put the baby down for her nap.” Debby lowered her voice, a smile tugging at her lips. “Emma, would you want to help me check on her for a bit?”

“Yes!” Her face lit up. She wriggled free and raced toward the nursery, slowing down near the door. She peeked around the doorframe first, then carefully pushed it open, moving as quietly as she could.

I dropped onto the couch, Emma’s bag hitting the floor beside my feet. 

Kenny tossed me a controller. “You’re not winning this time. 3-1 bet.”

“That’s a lot of confidence.” I turned the controller over once in my hands before settling it into my lap. “Bet.”

We played a couple rounds while Aunt Debby wandered in and out with snacks, stealing quick kisses from Kenny. Once, he caught her hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles before letting go. My chest tightened watching them. I wished my parents could be like that instead of faking it every time they had to show up somewhere together.

I lost focus and got knocked out the next second.

“I warned you,” Kenny teased, grinning as my character hit the ground.

“Next round,” I muttered, already resetting.

Emma and Debby’s laughter mixed with baby Aria’s high-pitched giggles floated from the nursery as we kept playing. Kenny’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. He sighed and set his controller on the arm of the chair.

“I need to reply to a client. Give me a sec.”

He stepped out of the room, already tapping at his screen.

A few minutes later, Debby came back and settled into the warm spot her husband had left. The couch dipped slightly under her weight, and the faint scent of baby powder and vanilla followed her.

“School’s fine. Can’t really say much about the team.” I turned the controller over in my hands again, thumb tracing the worn edges.

“Are you sure you’re good?” She tilted her head, studying me with a serious expression. “Come on. Talk to me.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again, the words stacking up behind my teeth without finding a way out.

She gently took the controller from me and clicked play.

“Do you think my mom should divorce my dad?”