I needed to get her out of here, even if only for a night.

There was a Holiday Inn just off the interstate, five miles away.

I could grab her winter coat, her backpack, and my purse from the kitchen counter.

I looked back over my shoulder.

Nathan was standing in the doorway, his silhouette blocking the light from the hall.

He was holding his phone in his right hand, his thumb resting on the side button.

“Is dinner ready?” Lily asked, looking between the two of us.

“Almost, sweetheart,” Nathan said, his voice warm and inviting, the voice of the perfect father.

“Mommy and I just have to finish a quick conversation.”

He looked at me, his eyes narrowing in the shadows.

“Right, Sarah?”

I swallowed the lump of panic in my throat and nodded.

“Yes,” I said to Lily. “Just a few minutes.”

I stood up, my knees cracking in the quiet room.

I walked past Nathan, careful not to brush against his shoulder.

He followed me downstairs, his footsteps heavy on the wooden stairs behind me.