“No.”
“Ben.”
“He didn’t threaten me.”
“What did he do?”
Ben stared at the screen.
“He smiled.”
A shiver ran through me.
“And after that?”
“I backed off.”
“Completely?”
A guilty expression crossed his face.
“No.”
Of course not.
He was my son.
I almost wanted to scream.
Instead, I asked, “Does Lily know?”
His silence answered.
“Benjamin.”
“Only Lily.”
“Why Lily?”
“She saw something too.”
“What?”
He looked toward the stairs.
“Mom, you should call her.”
It was after one in the morning.
I called anyway.
Lily answered immediately.
“Mom?”
“Were you awake?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Another pause.
“I had a weird feeling about tomorrow.”
My chest tightened.
“Lily, did you find something involving Nathan?”
Silence.
Then she whispered, “Ben told you.”
“Not everything.”
I heard her breathing change.
“Mom, are you with Nathan?”
“No.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
She began crying.
My anger vanished.
“Sweetheart.”
“He came into our room.”
