We Told Six Lies(82)
Was it my dad lying about the dog I remembered? Or my mom playing along when Holt and I got into that fight? Would I have figured everything out sooner if they hadn’t let me believe my own lies?
Maybe it was that jerkoff, Duane, lying about who really took that money.
Then again, that lie saved me from a lot worse.
Was it your lie, Molly? The one where you told everyone you’d broken up with me? Would everyone have still thought I was crazy if you’d just admitted you loved me?
You lied to me about that, too.
Or maybe this was all my fault. Wasn’t the biggest lie mine?
I’m your brother. If you can’t trust me, who can you trust?
So many lies. More than any of us can count. And with every lie, we had a chance to make things right. How could we have been so stupid?
I’d like to say it’s all behind us.
But, of course, I’d be lying.
“We’ll be happy,” I repeat, “and I’ll love you back. Every part of you.”
Molly tugs my face toward hers, and our lips meet. There’s desperation in our kiss, and tenderness, and I feel all the things she’s never said aloud but offered to me anyway. I feel her considering this future I’ve painted, and I feel it when she pulls back and looks at me with eyes that have no hidden agenda.
In that moment, I forget about my brother. I forget about the police officers calling to one another, and the cold working its way into my bones. I forget about the messy lives that await us at home, and our imperfect families and imperfect pasts. I forget about all of it and stare down into this strange girl’s eyes, naked to me at last.
I kiss her lips, soft, quick, and lift my mouth to her ear and say, “There you are.”
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About the Author Victoria Scott is the acclaimed author of nine novels including Fire & Flood, Violet Grenade, and The Collector. Victoria’s books have been YALSA-nominated, have appeared on the Spirit of Texas Reading Program, and have been included on Bank Street College of Education’s Best Books of the Year list. Her stories have been translated and sold in fourteen countries across the world. Victoria is also the owner and founder of Scribbler, the only subscription box for writers, which has been featured on BuzzFeed, Good Morning Texas, and Her Campus. Victoria loves hearing from her readers. You can find her on Instagram at @realvictoriascott.