A Good Marriage(91)

Faster. Faster.

Amanda sprinted up the rest of the steps, away from the voice. Away from the rustling. Her father had left the flowers. He knew where she lived. He’d followed her out there tonight. When Carolyn hadn’t shown up, he’d decided to seize the opportunity.

Amanda could outrun him, though. She was older now. Stronger.

She was almost at the top of the staircase. After that there was only a short stretch of trees before the path opened up to the meadow alongside the baseball fields. There were always people there. Her daddy wouldn’t try to grab her in front of them. He’d always been a coward.

“Amanda!” Louder. She could feel the threat in it.

She sprang forward from the last step toward the opening in the distance. Feet pounding against the pavement. Teeth rattling.

Then out of the corner of her right eye: movement. A body hurtling toward her.

Amanda screamed. Raw and earsplitting. Not a word, just a sound. Like an animal. And then she dropped to the ground. You were harder to drag that way. She waited to feel Daddy’s rough hands. Got ready to kick.

“Whoa! Hey!” A different voice. “Are you okay?”

Amanda scrambled backward and looked up. There was a very muscular, bare-chested man in running shorts, headphones dangling from his neck, headband pulling back his black curls. His hands were raised, mouth open, hazel eyes bulging. Amanda knew him, and didn’t know him. She couldn’t make out the details of his face. Definitely not her dad, though.

“Amanda, are you all right?” The man had an accent. French. “Did I—I’m so sorry. I called out when I saw you. I didn’t mean to frighten you. Maude is always telling me that men don’t think.”

Maude. Sebe. Of course that was him. As she caught her breath, his face came into view.

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry,” Amanda breathed. “I’m okay … I don’t know what happened. I heard a noise. I thought somebody was following me. I guess I panicked. I shouldn’t have taken that shortcut.”

Sebe reached down a gallant hand. “Let’s get you up at least.”

“Thanks,” Amanda said, letting him tug her to her feet. Her knees felt weak from the adrenaline.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Sebe asked, looking down at her leg. Amanda really wished he had a shirt on. “The way you fell was so sudden—did your ankle give way or something? Orthopedics isn’t my area, but I have people I could call.”

Amanda felt her cheeks flush. An ankle giving way would certainly be better than the truth: that she’d freaked out because her monster of a dad was stalking her.

“No, no. It was silly, really.”

“I think there’s a food vendor still up on the hill,” Sebe said, calm and in charge despite being half naked. “Let’s walk up and get you some water at least. Could be dehydration. You’d be shocked, the havoc it can wreak.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Amanda said. The knee she’d fallen on had begun to throb, but she wasn’t about to mention it. “Really, I’m fi—”

“Arguing is futile,” Sebe said with a definitive shake of his head. “I am a doctor. I have an ethical obligation. Besides, Maude is angry enough at me already. If I leave you, she might kill me in my sleep.” He smiled warmly. It made Amanda’s chest burn. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

“Okay,” she said finally.

They walked on slowly up the hill, Amanda doing her best to hide the pain jabbing her knee with each step.

“There was somebody behind you?” Sebe asked, turning back toward the trees.

“I’m sure it was in my head,” she said. “I have a really active imagination.”

“I could walk you home? As a precaution. That will be Maude’s first question: Did you walk her home?”

It might not be the worst idea. Sebe was so tall and athletic. His mere presence would scare her daddy away at least for the time being. But she didn’t want to put him out.

“I’ll be fine,” Amanda said. “Really.”

“This park is usually safe,” Sebe said as they walked on. He was breathing quickly. “But then a city is a city. One should never get too comfortable.”

He was quiet then until they’d reached the hot dog vendor. It was a merciful reprieve, though Amanda could feel him expecting some further explanation.

“Can I have two waters, please?” Sebe asked the man, pulling a twenty-dollar bill out of the phone holder strapped to his well-defined bicep.

Amanda wondered what it might be like to be married to a man like Sebe or Kerry: so kind and present and attentive. Being loved, really loved, like that. Amanda knew that Maude was frustrated with Sebe right now, and that Sarah and Kerry had had their issues. But the love between both couples was a thing you could use to steady yourself when the waters got rough. Zach and Amanda’s marriage would never rescue her from anything.

“Thank you,” Amanda said, taking the water from Sebe.

With each swallow, she realized how very thirsty she actually was. Within seconds, she’d finished the entire bottle.

Sebe laughed. “You do know that water is a thing you are supposed to be drinking, right?”

Amanda nodded. “I am dehydrated. You’re right, so stupid,” she said. “I’m sorry that I ruined your run.”