The first punch landed clean enough to make my wife smile

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She folded her arms.

 

“He owns Apex Predator.”

 

“I gathered that.”

 

“Don’t do that.”

 

“Do what?”

 

“That quiet thing.”

 

I looked at her.

 

“What would you prefer?”

 

“I don’t know. Yell. Get angry. Act like you actually care.”

 

I almost laughed.

 

Not because it was funny.

 

Because it was absurd.

 

Fourteen years of marriage, and apparently heartbreak needed to be performed loudly enough to satisfy the person causing it.

 

“When did it start?”

 

Claire’s jaw tightened.

 

“Does it matter?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Three months ago.”

 

That was the first lie.

 

I know because Claire scratched the inside of her wrist when she lied.

 

She had done it since we met.

 

She scratched twice.

 

I noticed.

 

I noticed everything.

 

I simply hadn’t wanted to.

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