Page 188 of Sins of Innocence

And I had no plans to tell either her, or the girls, about the accident. Despite his over-the-top get her out of the car without letting her spine shift response, neither of us was hurt. I was unconscious for about five seconds, but I don't have even a mild concussion.

There are no chemical burns from the airbag deployment like can happen sometimes. Once the nurse flushed my eyes with saline, the irritation and redness went away there too.

"They don't know it's a safehouse." He's still not looking at me.

"How?"

"Ellie is taking the girls to the Water Park."

"You mean Dreamworks in Jersey?" It's one of the girls' favorite places.

We've only been twice since it opened, but they loved it both times. Ellie gifted all access family passes to us for Christmas last year, so that part is believable.

He jerks a nod.

So, we're back to Taciturn Man.

Refusing to let that get me down, I ask, "How's that supposed to keep them out of the apartment?"

"I got them passes for the Water Park and Nickelodean Universe."

Which means more than one day of fun, but still not a trip away from the apartment. It's not that long of a drive to East Rutherford from Queens.

"Why do I think you bought them before today?"

He shrugs.

"Did you?"

He jerks his head in a nod.

"So, somehow Ellie is spinning it as a vacation, or something?"

"With auntie time tonight and tomorrow."

Five words. Whoop! "Because you don't want the girls to see you like this," I repeat what I overheard.

He doesn’t answer.

"Mom will want answers I don't want to give her," I admit.

"She's going to GRIP for a week."

"What's GRIP?"

"The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh."

"She's going to love that."

"Yeah."

"You must have booked that in advance."

"She was supposed to go two weeks from now."

A couple of weeks before her trip to Ireland. "You're so thoughtful."

He shrugs.