Sample from Lizbet's Lie
I carefully re-folded the letter and slipped it into my pocket. I left my room and nearly smacked into Susanna. I attempted to walk around her in the narrow hallway, but she blocked my path.
"Johnny is not available," she said, her voice tight.
"No one in our community is," I said and pushed her to the side.
"I mean it, Lizbet. You were gone, like, forever, and things changed."
I paused at the head of the stairs, turned to her, and glowered. "I'm aware." I stepped down the stairs, being careful to tread as if on eggshells.
Ned stood at the door of his truck, waiting for me. He seemed jumpy, as if he couldn't wait to leave. "Got it?" he asked.
I pulled out the letter and handed it to him. "Maybe she'll be out in the living room and you'll see her."
He opened the truck door and climbed into the seat. He put his face close to mine. "Maybe I'll get lucky."
"Momma will have a fit."
"I told Dad I was running an errand."
"He didn't question you?"
"He's not Momma."
"She'll die if she knows."
"Lizbet, I'm merely delivering a letter to your former roommate. What's so weird about that? It's only natural you'd be close to her, considering you lived together for months. Even Momma could understand that."
"Oh, she'd understand, but she wouldn't approve."
"She doesn't know Farah's story."
"It'd be worse if she did."
Ned sighed and grasped the steering wheel. He knew I was right. "I'm delivering a letter. Period."
I took a step back so he could close the door. He rolled down the window.
"Tell her I miss her," I said.
He nodded. "Will do." He rolled the window back up, and I heard him shift into gear. With a light spray of gravel from the back tires, he was off.
I stood and watched him go. I wished I was in the truck with him. Not to go back to the Home — no, never. But to get away from our community, yes.
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"Johnny is not available," she said, her voice tight.
"No one in our community is," I said and pushed her to the side.
"I mean it, Lizbet. You were gone, like, forever, and things changed."
I paused at the head of the stairs, turned to her, and glowered. "I'm aware." I stepped down the stairs, being careful to tread as if on eggshells.
Ned stood at the door of his truck, waiting for me. He seemed jumpy, as if he couldn't wait to leave. "Got it?" he asked.
I pulled out the letter and handed it to him. "Maybe she'll be out in the living room and you'll see her."
He opened the truck door and climbed into the seat. He put his face close to mine. "Maybe I'll get lucky."
"Momma will have a fit."
"I told Dad I was running an errand."
"He didn't question you?"
"He's not Momma."
"She'll die if she knows."
"Lizbet, I'm merely delivering a letter to your former roommate. What's so weird about that? It's only natural you'd be close to her, considering you lived together for months. Even Momma could understand that."
"Oh, she'd understand, but she wouldn't approve."
"She doesn't know Farah's story."
"It'd be worse if she did."
Ned sighed and grasped the steering wheel. He knew I was right. "I'm delivering a letter. Period."
I took a step back so he could close the door. He rolled down the window.
"Tell her I miss her," I said.
He nodded. "Will do." He rolled the window back up, and I heard him shift into gear. With a light spray of gravel from the back tires, he was off.
I stood and watched him go. I wished I was in the truck with him. Not to go back to the Home — no, never. But to get away from our community, yes.
Grab Your Copy Here
Return to Brenda's Books