“We finalized the assignment almost three weeks ago,” Mr. Bennett said.
Three weeks.
My husband had known for three weeks that he was leaving for months and hadn’t said a word.
I looked at Nathan.
“Anything else I should know?”
Mr. Bennett hesitated.
Then Susan spoke.
“I’m going too.”
I looked at her.
Nathan immediately shook his head.
“Don’t make this into something it isn’t. Susan was assigned to the project. I didn’t choose her.”
I turned to Mr. Bennett.
“Did Nathan know Susan was going when he accepted?”
Nathan’s face changed.
That was my answer.
“Yes,” Mr. Bennett said quietly. “I thought you two had already discussed all of this.”
I wanted to explode.
Instead, I smiled.
“Anyone wants dessert?”
The room went painfully quiet.
For the rest of the evening, I watched Nathan and Susan.
Nothing happened that I could actually accuse them of. But there were little things.
Susan knew what Nathan was drinking before he asked.
When he barely touched his dessert, she laughed.
“Don’t worry, Natalie. I’ll make sure he actually eats in Seattle. Nathan forgets when he’s stressed.”
“He does?”
Susan’s smile faded slightly.
“All the time.”
Nathan quickly changed the subject.
Later, while everyone was getting ready to leave, I heard Susan say to him, “At least the apartment situation is finally sorted.”
“What apartment situation?” I asked.
