Sweet Liar (Candy #2)(20)
She thought for a moment before shaking her head.
“Jonah says he was working with my father, that they were in this together. I think I should talk to him.”
Her hands covered mine on the table. “Sebastian wouldn’t want you to get involved. He only left this here because he wanted you to understand.”
“Well, my father didn’t know me very well, because doing nothing isn’t really my style.” I pulled my hands back.
“Candy . . . ,” she said, her voice weary.
Ignoring her, I neatened the papers and placed them back inside the safe. “Can I trust you to hold on to this?”
“Of course,” she replied, sounding offended.
Even though I’d memorized the combination, it was only three numbers, I took the scrap of paper and slid it into my pocket. Lorraine might remember the number too, but I felt better if the combination wasn’t hidden in the house along with the safe.
“It’s late. You’ll stay here tonight. I can make up the couch for you.” Lorraine stated this rather than asked and stood up from the table. “I have some leftover meat loaf if you’re hungry.”
Without waiting for my answer, she took food from the refrigerator and made a plate for me. After heating it in the microwave, she set it down in front of me and while I ate, she busied herself by making up the couch. Although meat loaf wasn’t my favorite, hers was pretty good, and I found myself with an appetite for the first time in a while.
When I tried to clean up after, she wouldn’t hear of it. She shooed me away and told me to get some rest while she tidied up the kitchen. As she washed the dishes, I went outside to the car to get my overnight bag, no longer in the mood to drive over to Theo’s tonight. I needed some quiet time to think about things.
“You look exhausted. Get some rest,” Lorraine said, watching as I pulled out my things. “I’m glad to have finally met you, Candy. You’re exactly as your father described.”
With that, she disappeared down the hallway while I wondered what he might have told her about me. That I was irresponsible and immature, probably, or maybe he said I was smart and enterprising. Either way, I liked the fact that he talked about me, because it meant he thought about me. He also came here and checked on me without ever telling me.
Emotion swelled deep inside. I was discovering so many things about him now that he was gone. Despite what others thought, I’d always idolized him, and now I knew I was right. My father was a good man who sometimes had to do bad things.
The knowledge was bittersweet.
Not only did Lorraine feed me dinner last night, but she offered to make me breakfast too. It was early. Dawn had yet to break, but she must have heard me getting up. I’d wanted to be up early because I intended to visit Theo this morning before he left for school.
Breakfast wasn’t anything fancy, just fruit and cereal, but I ate it, feeling a little strange to have Jonah’s mother waiting on me.
“Give me your number,” Lorraine said, holding up her cell phone. “I want to be able to reach you, and you can call me anytime for any reason.”
We exchanged numbers and said our good-byes, but not without Lorraine creasing her forehead with worry. She told me to take care of myself, if not for my own sake, then for my father’s. I listened with half an ear, but I appreciated her concern.
On my way out, I paused on the threshold and turned back to her, because there was one large issue we hadn’t addressed. I shouldn’t have cared, but I did.
“You know Jonah would understand why you left if you explained it to him.”
She shook her head. “You can’t tell him where I am. Victor can’t find out, and I don’t trust Cooper not to tell him. I hate saying that about my own son, but he’s under Victor’s thumb. He always has been. He probably wouldn’t believe me anyway, not after what I did to him.”
My gut said she should try, but I didn’t argue with her, especially since she might have been right about Jonah telling Victor.
“I know he deceived you, Candy. I hope you don’t mind that Sebastian told me that. I’m sorry, but I can tell you that the boy I knew was a kind and gentle one. He wouldn’t have lied to you if he didn’t have to, and I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him.”
I said nothing, just like I had when Jonah pleaded his own case, but I felt a little different now that I knew his whole story. My resentment didn’t burn as hot.
But Lorraine was right. He was under the influence of his father. As long as that was the case, Jonah was on the wrong side of things.
My head was swimming when I finally drove out of Lorraine’s driveway just as the sun came up. It seemed fitting since I’d been in the dark for so long, having this much information felt like stepping into the light, but it was also overwhelming.
The picture was so much clearer now. My father’s behavior made sense, and his disappearances did too. I’d be willing to bet some of those weekends he claimed to be working, he came here. Maybe all of them, which made me have mixed feelings about Lorraine.
The truth was, I couldn’t picture my father with her because she was so different from my mother. But Lorraine seemed nice. She seemed to understand him, and I couldn’t blame him for moving on. But I could feel an unwanted pang if he’d chosen to spend time with her rather than me when I came home after six long years. That didn’t sit well.