Hope You Love Me

Chapter 37

"I can help," Hope offered, taking a plate from her husband. He'd wordlessly cooked the entire meal by himself. The least she could do is help set the table.

"Let me." Josie promptly took it from Hope's hands, passing it off to Lizzie who set it in the center of the table. "How are you two doing?" She glanced back and forth between Hope and Landon.

"About as well as you'd expect," Landon said. He rested his hands on the back of his chair and squared his shoulders. "I guess at least now, I can fully embrace my role as househusband."

"You're not a househusband." Hope set her hand on his shoulder. "You're still a writer."

"Just not on my own TV show, right?" Landon's face was tense and his words snappy. Hope took a deep breath. She knew he didn't mean to direct his frustration at her, but that guilt complex that had taken up residence in her gut twisted all the same.

"That's a good thing, right?" MG interrupted. "That gives you time to focus on your own writing?"

"What writing?" Josie laughed. "He hasn't written something personal in years."

Landon arched an eyebrow in Hope's direction. "You told her?"

"I told all of them. Long ago." Hope smiled. Back when telling people things didn't matter.

"You know, I could always use a second writer," MG said. "Hope helps me out with the art. It'd be cool to have you join us."

"Thanks, MG." Landon smiled at the gesture. He didn't know how well he'd do at writing stories about men in spandex saving the day, but maybe if he at least pitched MG a few ideas, it could take his mind off of his sinking career.

"And I know a few good sites for posting fanfiction," Lizzie added, which earned her a few weird looks. "What? Like you guys don't read fanfic?"

"No?" Hope continued to stare at her strangely.

"Whatever. Your loss. Landon, I'll get you into the Star Wars fandom and then you'll see."

"Thanks, Lizzie." He forced his smile wider. "Now, can we just eat?"

"Sure." Hope sat and the rest of her friends followed suit. It was silent as they filled their plates, and then Lizzie and Josie began awkwardly filling the silence with pained small talk. MG tried to jump in a few times, but the twins bulldozed over him and eventually, he stopped trying. Hope and Landon kept exchanging glances over their plates, almost like they were trying to start a silent conversation but neither of them was on the same page. It was long and tiring, and honestly, Hope was counting the minutes until it could be over.

"If the cops won't do anything, we should probably come up with a plan ourselves," Josie was saying. That grabbed Hope's attention.

Landon leaned forward, his elbows on the table as he thought. "Maybe."

Hope hadn't expected that out of him. Her surprise must've been apparent on her face, because he continued,

"I mean, somebody has to do something, right?"

Hope shook her head quickly. "We don't have to do anything. We let the cops handle it." She couldn't be sure who in their friend group she could trust. She certainly wasn't going to be manufacturing any plans with them, especially right after an article named her own husband a possible suspect with a clear motive.

Josie scowled. "No, Hope. The cops aren't doing anything. We have to -"

"- stay safe and let them do their jobs in the meantime," Hope said pointedly. Josie wasn't going to get anywhere by arguing it. Lizzie and MG stared between the three of them silently, feeling the tension radiating off of them. Hope threw her napkin down. "I'm actually not hungry anymore."

"Wait, Hope -" Lizzie reached for her as she passed by, but Hope was too fast.

She shut herself up in her room, pulling up the digital version of that article and scrolling down to the author. She tried every social media site she could find, scoured old articles for the same author, and searched the name on every database she could find. Whoever this author was with all their inside information, they clearly weren't using their real name. Which meant it was going to be impossible to find them and ask them what they know. So much for anything ever going right for once.

Hope sighed, crossing her arms and frowning down at her screen. It was pointless. She closed the browser just as the bedroom door opened. Landon stepped inside, gently closing it behind him, as if he was scared that closing it too hard would set her off again.

"Are you okay?" he asked finally.

Hope set the laptop aside, laying down with her back to Landon. "No." He got the message and didn't ask any more questions.