What We Called Therapy After Dark novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: Diagnosis Confirmed

My mother had a hair appointment, so Mitch drove me home in the truck.

He did not take the turn for our street.

He drove past it, and I did not ask why.

He stopped in the back lot of the bakery where Nikki worked, and cut the engine.

"I need a minute," he said. "And I'm not doing it in the house."

His hands were on the wheel, and they were not steady.

I watched them.

A rap on my window made me jump.

Nikki was leaning in the open door of the bakery's back kitchen with flour to her elbows and a cinnamon roll in each fist.

She marched over, pulled my door open, and put one roll in my lap.

"You look like someone ran over your dog," she said.

"I'm fine."

"You've said that since fourth grade, and it has never once been true." She bent and looked past me at the driver's seat. "Hi, Mr. Bramwell. Are you two okay?"

"Fine," Mitch said, in the same flat voice.

Nikki narrowed her eyes at both of us.

"Mm," she said. "Okay. Text me tonight, Marin, or I'm coming over with a tire iron."

She slammed my door and went back inside.

Mitch started the truck again and pulled out of the lot.

He drove to the reservoir.

At that hour in July the gravel turnout was empty, and the water was flat and brown under a low sun.

He stopped under a line of oaks and turned to face me.

"I'm ending it," he said. "Tomorrow I'll call Keene and tell him we're done."

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