He Killed Me Then Loved Me novel · Chapter 8 of 24

Chapter 8: Fifty Thousand to Leave

Phillip woke at eight, and the first thing he did was reach for me.

I was already sitting up with the sheet around me and my back against the wall.

"Morning," he said. His voice was thick.

"Morning."

"You're far away."

"It's a small bed."

He rolled over, propped his head on his hand and studied my face. "Today's question."

"It's barely light."

"Why did you open the door?"

I could have lied. I thought about it for a while.

"Because I wanted to," I said.

His whole face changed. He smiled slowly, and I had not known he could do that.

"That's the best answer I've ever had," he said.

"Don't get used to it."

He caught my wrist and kissed the inside of it. A shiver ran up my arm.

Then somebody knocked on the carriage house door, and we both froze.

It was a light, polite knock. Three taps, evenly spaced.

I knew it at once. It was Lucille's knock.

"Stay here," I whispered. I pulled on the T-shirt and went to the door with my hair a mess.

Lucille stood on the step in a cream suit and pearls with a leather envelope in her hand.

She looked past me at the kitchen table. She looked at the glass on the floor and the gold dress on the chair.

"Good morning, Hallie," she said.

"Mrs. Chichester."

"May I come in?"

I stood aside.

She walked in, looked at the closed bedroom door and did not say a word about it. She set the envelope on the table.

"My husband and I are very grateful to you," she said. "You saved our son's life."

"Thank you."

"We would like to express that." She slid the envelope an inch toward me. "There's a check inside for fifty thousand dollars."

I stared at it.

"The Foundation will keep your tuition in place. The check is separate. It's yours." Her face stayed perfectly still. "In return, we would like you to leave Hartford by the end of the month."

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