The Truth

by Erica Lee

  “I wouldn’t miss it.” And I meant that. Samantha could’ve told me that Molly’s first game was on Thanksgiving Day and I would’ve called my parents immediately to tell them that I wouldn’t be coming to their house after all. The Phillips family always came first.

  Chapter 11

  Dating someone who isn’t completely yours is a strange existence. Things were great with Diana while we were together, but while apart, they were almost nonexistent. I had to be careful what times of day I would text her sweet nothings, and calls were almost entirely off limits, unless we happened to be driving at the same time. But whenever I had my doubts, Diana had a way of roping me back in. This particular Wednesday night was one of those times. Our work schedules overlapped enough that I only had to wait an hour after ending my shift for Diana to be done with hers. I met her by her car and she drove us to a town about an hour away. The fact that she took us to all these far-away places because we couldn’t be seen by someone she might know wasn’t lost on me, but the new adventures were too exciting for me to care much.

  The night started out at a tiny theater that showed old black and white films for only a dollar. Halfway through the movie, which happened to be a silent film this time, Diana admitted that the reason she wanted to come was because she figured no one else would be there. I looked around the theater to confirm that she was indeed right and before I knew it, I felt Diana straddling my lap.

  “This is a little more interesting than the movie, right?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. I gulped audibly and looked up in the direction of the projector.

  Diana directed my face back to hers. “Don’t worry about that. The only person working here right now is the old man who took our money, and I know for a fact that he sleeps as soon as he puts the film on. I was here once when the film began skipping and then froze completely. We sat staring at the unmoving screen for a good ten minutes, before I took it upon myself to walk upstairs and see what was going on. I honestly thought the guy was dead at first, but relaxed when I heard him snoring.”

  She laughed a little as she recalled the story, but then returned to her sultry look, running a hand up and down my arm as she stared deep into my eyes. The build up was almost unbearable, until she finally leaned in and kissed me long and hard. The feeling of her tongue in my mouth and her hips grinding up against mine was almost enough to send me over the edge in itself, so when she slipped her hand a little lower, I was done for.

  ***

  Diana giggled as we skipped out of the theater, about an hour later. “I bet you never thought you’d have sex in a dollar theater, huh?”

  “I did not, but if I had known how great it could be, it definitely would’ve been a bucket list item. Although, I was a bit worried that the poor old man was going to wake up from my not-so-subtle noises.”

  Diana threw her head back in a cocky laugh this time. “I don’t think we have to worry about that with him. Plus, do you really think he would’ve minded? I’m sure that’s much more interesting than a silent film.”

  “Ew stop,” I groaned, while playfully pushing her away from me. “I don’t want to think of myself as some creepy old man’s main attraction.”

  She placed a quick kiss on my lips. “Well, you’re my main attraction.”

  “As it should be,” I said with a smile.

  The next stop on our midweek date was a walking path that ran along the river. Diana took my hand as we walked under the starry sky, sending a whirlwind of emotions through my body. The way the moonlight reflected off her face caused the perfect glow to her skin, making her whole face light up as she smiled over at me.

  “So, how are you feeling about next week?” Diana asked, as we stopped to take in our surroundings.

  “Honestly, I wish I could be doing anything else. Holidays should be spent with people who care about you, and I’m not convinced that my parents actually do.”

  Diana leaned into me. “So, it’s just going to be you and your parents? No siblings?”

  The mention of siblings made me feel like someone had reached into my chest and twisted my heart with their bare hands as Callie’s face flashed into my mind. “No. My family is… umm… just my parents and me.”

  “Gotcha. I’m an only child too. It sucks not having a sibling to lean on when your parents are making life unbearable, doesn’t it?”

  Diana’s words shot right through me, and I had to close my eyes and take a few deep breaths to keep myself from having a breakdown. “I actually have… or I mean had… a sister. She passed away,” I admitted hesitantly. Before Diana could say anything, I added, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Of course not,” Diana answered quickly. “I wouldn’t make you do that. I am sorry though.” She gave my hand an extra squeeze, before dropping the subject. That was a welcome relief. Samantha would’ve pushed the topic until I felt terrible. I knew she meant well, but it was nice to have someone who allowed me to keep my past where it belonged.

  “So, what are your Thanksgiving plans?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

  Diana shrugged her shoulders. “Family stuff.”

  I didn’t push her to elaborate because I figured she wanted to talk about her situation just as little as I wanted to talk about mine. “I wish we could be together,” I answered quietly.

  Diana turned to face me and placed both of her hands on my hips, then rested her forehead against mine. She breathed deeply like she was trying to take me in completely. “I wish we could too. I want that more than anything.” She leaned back just a bit and reached up to move a stray hair behind my ear. Suddenly, her face lit up like she had just come up with the greatest idea. “What if we had our own little Thanksgiving later that night? We can even ring in Black Friday together.”

  “You can do that?” I asked tentatively.

  “For sure,” Diana said in a tone that sounded anything but sure. “I’ll just wait until Ava goes to bed, and then I’ll say that I got called into work. It’s not unusual for that to happen, especially on a holiday.”

  I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. I hated this. I hated everything about it. “So, you’re going to lie?”

  Diana removed my hands from my head to take them in her own. “Shh. Don’t think of it as lying.”

  “What am I supposed to think of it as, Diana?” I asked desperately.

  “Think of it as something that has to be done so we can have time together.”

  I let out a frustrated sigh. “You know I hate this, right?”

  The light in Diana’s eyes dimmed with my words and it made me sad to know that I was upsetting her. “I hate it too, Carly. I don’t like lying, and I certainly don’t like keeping you a secret. Hopefully, it shouldn’t be like this for long. I’ve been talking to a lawyer, and he’s helping me navigate through all of this.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise,” Diana soothed, before placing a gentle kiss on my lips.

  All of my animosity melted away with that simple touch. There was no way I could ever stay mad at this girl, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but I was way too smitten to think about it.

  Chapter 12

  The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I sat in the stands ready to cheer on Molly, decked from head to toe in her school colors.

  “Going hard tonight?” Samantha remarked as she sat down next to me and raised a judgmental eyebrow at my outfit.

  “Hey, it’s my girl’s final season. I need to go all out.”

  “I personally think you look great,” Mrs. Phillips added as she sat down next to us. I gave Samantha a satisfied grin in response.

  As soon as the game started, Molly was on fire. By halftime, she’d scored twenty points, which put her team ahead 34-10. She started the second half with a bang when she immediately stole the ball from the other team and started a fast break down the court. There was only one person from the other team who could keep up with her and when she went in for the shot, the two of them jumped at
the same time and collided with each other. I couldn’t see much, but I did notice that Molly’s leg twisted in a way it shouldn’t have as she landed on the ground with the other player on top of her. I heard a wail escape from her mouth, then looked over at the rest of the Phillips family. Samantha had her hands over her mouth, Mr. Phillips appeared to be frozen in place, and Mrs. Phillips’s eyes were darting around the gym as she desperately asked, “Did anyone else hear a crack? I think I heard a crack.”

  When it became obvious that Molly wasn’t able to stand on her own, we all rushed down the bleachers. Mr. Phillips and another player’s father picked her up and quickly carried her out to their minivan. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips drove her to the emergency room, while we followed close behind.

  The whole night was a complete whirlwind, and after hours of waiting in the hospital, we found out that Molly had broken a bone in her lower leg and while she didn’t need surgery, she would need to be in a cast for about six to eight weeks. This meant that not only her season, but also her collegiate basketball career, were over for good.

  “Molly must be crushed,” I said with a sigh, as we made our way back to the house to get it prepared for her arrival.

  Unfortunately, I was right. You didn’t have to know her to see that the pain in her eyes went well beyond just the physical pain of the injury. Since she couldn’t make it up the stairs, we had the pull-out couch in their family room ready for her. I volunteered to spend the night, and we spent the next few hours watching TV before Molly finally found a position that she was comfortable enough in to drift off to sleep.

  I was starting to fall asleep on the recliner when I felt a tap on my shoulder. “You can sleep in Molly’s room if you want… since she is down here anyway.”

  I immediately shook my head. “No, that’s okay. I’m going to stay right here in case she needs anything.” Molly felt like a little sister to me, and there was no way I was going to leave her alone right now. I vowed to myself a long time ago that I would never again let someone I care about suffer alone, so if that meant spending a night or two on this not-so-comfy recliner, then so be it.

  Samantha stared at me for a few beats with a look that I couldn’t quite identify on her face. She then smiled slightly and leaned down to hug me. “Thank you, Carly. I know it will mean a lot to her,” she whispered into my ear. Before pulling away, she added, “It means a lot to me too.” Something about her words caused goosebumps to form on my arms. I assumed it must’ve been the act of someone showing me appreciation that elicited the response. God knows I never got anything like that from my own family.

  I felt like I’d barely fallen asleep when another tap on my shoulder woke me up. This time, Samantha told me that she and her parents were going to work, but they wanted me to stay home with Molly. I quickly agreed, then headed toward the kitchen to see what I could make her for breakfast. I settled on eggs, bacon, and toast, and a few minutes later, I headed back to the family room with a tray full of food.

  I gently shook her, and she tried to sit up when she saw the food, wincing when pain shot through her leg. I propped pillows behind her back and added a few more below her leg.

  She shoveled the food into her mouth and finished it within minutes. She shoved the tray away and stared down at her leg. “Freaking Franklin,” she said under her breath.

  When I gave her a confused look, she elaborated. “Gina Franklin was the one who collided with me. She’s had it out for me since our freshman year.”

  My eyes widened. “You don’t think she did it on purpose, do you?”

  Molly chuckled a bit while shaking her head. “No, I know she didn’t. She may be obnoxious, but she’s not an animal.” Her eyes then drifted toward the ceiling and took on a dreamy state. “She’s awfully cute for an obnoxious career-ender though.”

  “Hold up,” I said, interrupting her daydream. “Did you just call her cute? Is there something you want to tell me? Is straight Little Phillips not so straight?”

  Molly’s eyes bolted from the ceiling over toward me and a look of horror crossed onto her face. “Shit. Did I just say that out loud? Stupid pain meds.”

  I laughed at her discomfort. “I’m not sure why you think I would care. I am kinda super gay myself.”

  Molly sighed. “My family doesn’t know. Actually, no one does except for you now, and I’d like to keep it that way while I sort some things out. I’m definitely bi, but I’m considering ignoring the girl-liking side of that. It’s just easier that way. Being gay is Samantha’s thing.”

  “Being gay isn’t a thing that belongs to one person.”

  Molly shrugged. “Not everyone sees it that way though. I’m afraid I’ll just look like the little girl who is trying to be like her big sister.”

  I had to laugh at this. Molly and Samantha couldn’t have been more different. Molly was athletic, outgoing, and silly, while Samantha was a serious, introverted bookworm. There was no way anyone would ever think she was trying to be like Samantha.

  I patted her on the back. “You’re thinking about it too much, kid. Just go for whoever you want and don’t worry about anyone else.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  I flashed her my best cocky grin. “I’m always right. Seriously though, if you ever need to talk about anything, I’m here for you. Also, your secret is safe with me.”

  “Thanks, Carly. I really appreciate that. I know you just see me as a kid most of the time, but you can talk to me about anything too.” Something about the tone of her voice told me that she believed there were things I should be talking about.

  I blatantly rolled my eyes at her. “Crushing on the ladies and trying to make me talk about my feelings? Maybe you are trying to be like your sister,” I joked.

  Molly reached behind her back for one of the pillows that was propping her up and hit me across the face with it. I grabbed it and hit her right back, careful to avoid her leg.

  After going back and forth like this a few times, we both broke into a fit of laughter. “This is great,” Molly said, beaming. “I love having you here. You make me forget how much this all sucks. It’s like the good old days when you lived with us.”

  I agreed, even though those days weren’t exactly the good old days for me. That thought brought me back to my parents and the fact that I was expected to go to their house the next day. After considering it for the next few hours, I decided that wouldn’t work for me, and I called my dad.

  “Carly,” he said simply upon answering the phone. It wasn’t lost on me how cold he always sounded.

  I immediately broke into my explanation about how I couldn’t spend Thanksgiving with them because I needed to spend it with the Phillips family after what had happened to Molly.

  “With all due respect, I’d like to ask you to reconsider. Holidays should be spent with family, and you haven’t spent one with us for years.”

  “With all due respect, sir,” I repeated, with a bite to my words, “families are the people who love and care about you.” I wasn’t even going to go into the fact that they hadn’t even invited me to spend a holiday with them for years.

  My dad sighed on the other end of the phone. “Your mother and I do love you. You have to understand that we just can’t have you living under our roof or support you if you are living that homosexual lifestyle.”

  I shook my head. He was impossible and talking to him was making me more and more angry. “And you have to understand that the Phillips have always supported me and that they, in fact, did let me live under their roof after my own parents threw me out onto the streets.”

  “I’m clearly not going to change your mind. I do need you to stop by at some point though. Your mother and I have something we need to talk to you about.” Great, another lecture on the dangers of homosexuality.

  Before hanging up, I promised him I would visit soon, even though I wasn’t in any hurry to fulfill that promise. Later that evening, I told Samantha and Molly that I’d decided to spend the holiday with t
hem. The announcement earned me big grins from both of the Phillips sisters.

  The next day, the extended Phillips family joined us for Thanksgiving dinner. They’re all as nice and accepting as Samantha’s parents and they made me feel right at home. When we sat down to eat, Samantha’s ninety-two-year-old grandma elbowed me in the side playfully. “Do you have a nice girl in your life yet?” she asked, while lifting an eyebrow toward Samantha, who immediately turned red.

  What was that all about?

  “I’m working on it,” I answered simply. There was no way I was going to tell this older woman all about my life as the mistress. I didn’t want to give the poor lady a heart attack.

  Later on, as the whole family sat around telling stories about when the kids were younger, a text came through on my phone. Can’t wait to see you tonight <3 <3 <3.

  Shoot. After everything that had happened, I’d totally forgotten that Diana and I had plans. I still didn’t want to leave Molly. I knew as soon as the rest of the family left, she would again be reminded of everything she was now going to miss out on by not participating in her final season. I sent Diana a long text in return, explaining what had happened to Molly and how I didn’t feel right leaving her.

  Of course, she responded. Family always comes first. I’ll miss you, but I completely understand.

  Could this girl be anymore perfect? As I stared down at my phone, I felt an elbow jab into my side. “Texting your girlfriend?” Samantha asked. “You have that lovestruck look on your face.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “I am. I was just telling her that I couldn’t spend time with her tonight because I wanted to be here for Molly.”

  Samantha reached over and squeezed my knee. “That’s really sweet of you, Carly.” She studied my face for a minute before adding, “You do know she’ll be okay though, right? She’s really sad about the injury, but she’s not depressed. You don’t have to save her.”