Free The Family You Choose by Deborah Nam-Krane Page B

were related through her."
    He shook his head again. "No. No, people
liked me when I lived here. They even loved me. Do you know what
that’s like? Do you remember before Alex? Did people love you?"
    "Yes," Miranda said with quiet conviction, as
if he’d just asked her if his eyes were brown.
    "Then didn’t you ever wonder what happened to
them?"
    "I know what happened," she whispered. "My
father died in Israel, and my mother died in a car accident. My
grandmother died too, and that’s why I’m with Alex. And Alex loves
me."
    A smiled traced across Michael’s face, and
suddenly his proximity was menacing. "Yes, and you love Alex, too,
don’t you?"
    "You want to tell me the name of the game
we’re playing, or did you just make this one up?"
    "You never asked before."
    "No, I just did actually."
    "Not that."
    "Never asked what?"
    "Never asked what happened to my
parents."
    "Yes I did. I think you almost shoved me down
the stairs."
    "Did you ask Alex?"
    "Sorry, I guess I was a little preoccupied
usually with your latest attack or threat."
    "I don’t think I’ve touched you since I was
twelve."
    "There was the incident that summer after you
got out of high school."
    "But I don’t think I scared you, did I?"
    "No, you just saved it for my friends and
anyone else who came into my life. By the way, you touch Zainab and
I’ll consider it an invitation to kill you in your sleep."
    He smiled even wider. "And maybe that’s why I
moved."
    "Don’t worry, I can be very persistent."
    "You’d have to give me a reason to let you
get that close, especially if I were in bed."
    Miranda stepped back and looked at him as if
she were seeing him for the first time. He was still smiling in his
menacing way. She blinked then replayed what he said in her mind,
just to make sure. Then she laughed again. "Are you for real?"
Before he could answer, she shoved past him and through the
swinging doors. Michael followed her out a moment later, this time
carrying a bottle of wine and glasses. Richard and Alex resumed
their conversation, and Michael spoke to Zainab more politely than
Miranda had ever heard him speak to anyone. She emptied her glass
then announced that she wanted to leave.
    ~~~
    Fifteen minutes later, Zainab kissed Miranda
good-bye and agreed to call the next day to meet for coffee, maybe
even dragging out Jessie and Emily. Miranda nodded vigorously, her
color high from the wine, then turned and walked away quickly.
Zainab watched her for a moment, then starting walking with
Richard. "How come you never told me?"
    "Which ugly family secret are you referring
to now?"
    "The one about Michael having a thing for
Miranda."
    Richard raised his eyebrow, half-smiled, then
shook his head. "Because I was never sure about that one
myself."
    "I am. I don’t think I like it."
    "You like the one about Alex and Miranda
better?"
    "I don’t think that’s a secret."
    ~~~
    Miranda read in Alex’s study, stealing
glances at him. He was on his computer, as usual, engrossed in
stock prices and other company’s quarterly reports. She wanted to
ask him something, but she wasn’t sure. It wasn’t the wine—she
hadn’t had that much—she just couldn’t put the question into
words.
    She lay in bed in the dark for hours,
thinking about Michael and why that night was so much more
disturbing to her than anything else he’d ever done.
     

CHAPTER
7
     
    Several weeks later Mitchell Graham was on
the train to law school with his wife. He liked that their stop was
so far out because it meant that they got their own seat together,
a relative luxury four stops later.
    Emily was sleepy. It was funny, because she
used to rise so early the year before. She’d enjoyed getting up at
eight, and then getting up at ten, depending on how late they had
been up the night before. So Mitch could run his fingers over her
cheeks and hairline without too much protest.
    He sighed. Last year the most important thing
to him had been getting into law school. Now he wanted