Page 157 of His Reckoning

The question lands exactly the way she intended it to.

“You can’t rely on that forever.”

I don’t answer.

Her voice softens slightly, but somehow, that makes it worse. “Your sisters have stability.”

Here we go.

“They have husbands who take care of them.”

Something painful twists through me instantly.

“Maybe it’s time you started thinking about that too.”

“I’m fine, Mom.”

“But you wouldn’t have to struggle like this if you found the right man.” A small laugh escapes her. “Someone successful. Someone who could actually support you.”

The words hit harder than they should. No matter how many times she says things like this … a small part of me still wants her approval.

“You’re too smart to keep chasing something that probably isn’t going to work out,” she finishes.

Emotion rises fast enough to catch me off guard. I swallow.

“I have to go,” I say quietly.

“Oh. All right. Just think about what I said.”

The call ends.

The apartment feels even quieter now. For a moment, I just sit here, staring at the dark screen of my phone. Then the tears come before I can stop them.

I wipe my face quickly, frustrated with myself. Crying has never really been my thing, but apparently, today is full of surprises.

By the time the front door opens a few minutes later, I’m curled up on the couch, trying to pretend I’m not falling apart.

And the last thing I want is for Sawyer to see me like this.

I wipe my face quickly, swiping at the last of the tears before they can leave tracks on my cheeks, but it’s too late.

Sawyer steps inside a second later, loosening his tie as he walks into the living room.

He stops the second he sees me.

His eyes narrow slightly. “What happened?”

I shake my head immediately. “Nothing.”

He doesn’t move. Just stands there, watching me with that hyper-focused look he gets when he notices something’s wrong.

“You’re crying.”

“I’m not.”

One eyebrow lifts. “You’re terrible at lying.”

I huff out a weak laugh and look away, wiping my face again. “It’s just … a bad phone call.”