Page 88 of The Outline


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I couldn’t stop my eyes from widening momentarily. I knew how much seeking his father’s approval had impacted his life. I recalled a dinner after father and son had played a round of golf with two of Henri Sr.’s buddies. Henri’s father had spent the entire meal making fun of his son’s game. Henri had taken the ribbing, seething next to me. Once we were alone later, he’d unleashed his mood, railing at how terrible I was at conversation and how I should strive to be as elegant as his mother. Henri had often framed his criticisms through the lens of “what would my parents think?” I could only imagine his father’s death had been both liberating and terrifying.

And because I knew his pride, realized what this admission cost him, I squeezed his arm quickly. “I’m sorry about your dad, Henri. Truly.”

I let go and began to head back to my table. He pouted after me. “That’s it?”

“What’s it? I feel bad about your father. But you can’t use that to manipulate me into speaking with you further.”

“That’s not what I was trying to do.”

He believed it. I sighed. “Go back to your mother. Go back to your son.”

“Sadie, please. Talk to me. You owe me that. Iwasplanning on trying to see you this trip, wishing you a happy birthday in person. I know you still need me, just like I need you!” His raised voice was attracting attention from the other diners.

“I don’t need anything from you. Not anymore.” I stepped away. “Henri, I wasn’t just standing by this bathroom waiting for you to run into me. I’m here with my boyfriend.” I gestured toward my table.

Henri looked over at where I was pointing and scoffed. “Zach is your boyfriend now?”

“Not Zach, idiot. The hot guy with the beanie.”

With that, I again attempted an exit, but he followed me. “Sadie—”

I reached the table in five seconds. Zach’s back was still to Henri, and I went to take my seat across from him, next to Renn, while Henri persisted.

“After everything, I deserve a chance.”

Renn stared up in confusion at the man who had trailed me from the restroom. I grimaced at him just as Zach exclaimed, “What the fuck?!” grabbing the attention of every nearby table.

Looking between Zach and Henri, Renn put two and two together, realizing who the unknown man must be. Zach made to stand, but Renn reached across the table and pulled him down by the forearm with a firm, “I’ve got this.”

“You need to leave,” Renn spoke levelly to Henri.

Henri ignored him and gazed down at my head. “Darling, please. You can’t expect me to walk away when we haven’t even spoken.”

Renn stood up then, the sound of his chair scratching across the floor echoing. “Don’t fucking call her darling.”

Henri sneered at Renn and looked back at me. “You left me for this…child?”

Renn made a move like he was about to put his hands on Henri, but I stopped him. “I didn’t leave youforanyone, Henri. I left you. Just you.” I held my ground, but it was beginning to be more of a struggle. Other diners gawked at us, and the hostess was whispering furiously to the manager, clearly debating an intervention.

“I can tell you still care, Sadie. I saw it in your eyes when I told you about my father.”

“You need to go, man.” Renn glared at Henri. “Right now.”

With the eyes of everyone in the restaurant on him, Henri tipped his head at all of us in turn, including a stunned Teddy. Then Henri went to his table on the other side of the dining room. As he reached his mother, I saw him waving toward us. I didn’t know what he was telling her, and I didn’t care. I just wanted to be home and safe in Renn’s arms.

A few hours later, that’s exactly where I was, resting my chin on Renn’s chest as I listened to the rhythm of his sleeping breaths. I reflected that I’d held my own with Henri, been firm in my assertions. But there had been something in the set of his shoulders as he’d stomped back toward his table at the restaurant that had me awake and on edge. Henri and I hadn’t finished our conversation.

CHAPTER

Twenty-One

Early March 2016

Ihalfway expected toget a text from Henri, or find him outside my apartment. He had the resources to track me down, even if he hadn’t done so yet. But I wasn’t necessarily dreading it. Now that I’d survived seeing him once, I was confident I could again. There was even a small part of me thatwelcomedthe possibility, as I continued to feel like I had that night, that our story wasn’t quite finished.

Renn was handling the situation less well. Henri had always been more of an abstract to him. Seeing my ex in the flesh, declaring he still wanted me, had rattled my boyfriend.

“Why not at least try to get a restraining order?” Renn and I were in his kitchen making homemade pizza. Well, as homemade as it could be when starting with readymade frozen crust.