This Is Why We Lie
Page 22
I squeeze my eyes shut.
Suddenly, there are voices outside. Footsteps crunch through the undergrowth.
It feels as though time has slowed down, just for a moment. I watch, frozen, as Imogen drops the vase and it shatters on the floor. I cover my eyes as shards of glass explode around us.
When I lower my hands, Imogen is silent. Her lips are parted. She’s breathing quickly as the voices get closer. She turns, and she runs. The door thumps shut behind her.
I slump to the floor.
My eyes are focused now, and this time, when I look at my phone lying just out of arm’s reach, the screen isn’t blurry. It worked, just like I’d hoped. Adam’s name is at the top, my call was answered, and the seconds keep ticking by.
ADAM
I don’t know if I believe in luck. For me, most things can boil down to coincidence. But if I ever find myself looking for a definition of lucky, I’ll think back to the time Tommy and I were right outside Principal Lomax’s office, about to be questioned in connection with a double homicide, at the exact moment I needed to play a call on loudspeaker. Luck? Coincidence? Whatever it was, it saved lives.
They caught Imogen a couple of miles from Rookwood. She was found within an hour. I figure that’s pretty good police work.
Time has passed since then, just like it always does. But I’m back here again. Back on Rookwood Beach.
Jenna stands beside me, her eyes trained on the crashing waves.
We’re right back where we started. Only, we’re different now. Stronger.
All of a sudden, she rises to her tiptoes and kisses me.
A smile tugs at my mouth. “What was that for?”
“Just felt like it.” She grins. “Also, you looked like you needed it.”
“Yeah?” I drape my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.
She rests her hand on my heart.
Behind us, pebbles crunch and clink. We both turn to see Tommy and Chris crossing the beach.
Chris. Tommy’s boyfriend.
“Hey,” I call to them.
They join us at the shoreline. Chris folds his hand around Tommy’s, and Tommy glances at me, like he’s checking to see if I’m good with this.
I smile back, hoping that’s enough for him to know that it’s all good. It was always all good.
His shoulders relax.
I breathe a little easier knowing he’s happy. Tommy made some dumb mistakes, sure. He never meant to hurt anyone, though. He got off easy with community service, but he still has to live with selling those drugs to Imogen. But Imogen has to live with giving them to Max.
A flock of blackbirds fly over the horizon. Rooks, maybe. They’re soaring free, in perfect harmony with each other.
It makes me think of my Rooks, and our brotherhood.
Max is gone. My mom is gone, too.
But I’ve still got a future ahead of me. And maybe even a scholarship to law school, if I work hard enough. Preferably somewhere with a great photography program nearby.
Me, Jenna, Tommy, Serena, Hollie... We’ve still got our lives to live, and every chance ahead of us. Because we’re the lucky ones.
And from now on, I’m going to make it count.
* * *
Acknowledgments
This Is Why We Lie wouldn’t be complete without the help and support of so many wonderful people.
I want to start by giving huge thanks to my agent, Whitney Ross, and everyone at Irene Goodman Literary Agency who worked on this book in the early stages of its journey. Whitney, your optimism, commitment, and encouragement has been truly inspiring and I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done and everything you continue to do.
Many thanks to Connolly Bottum, who embraced this story and these characters so fully. Being part of the Inkyard family is a dream come true and I am eternally grateful for this. Connolly, thank you for seeing something special in these characters and for guiding me to bring out the very best in them.
To the entire Inkyard/HarperCollins team, thank you for all of the hard work and dedication you’ve put into bringing this book to life!
To my parents, Angela and Elio, whose support, love, and openness is unparalleled. I’m so lucky to share adventures with you and it’s an honor to make you proud.
To my husband, James, thank you for all the hours, days, weeks, months, years of everything. No one makes a spreadsheet better than you do...and you know it!
To my daughter, Sophia, thank you for being the whirlwind of joy, love, and laughter that you are. You are my inspiration and my most incredible blessing.
To my family and friends, thank you for being part of this journey and for all the support you’ve given me every step of the way. Lepores, Nelsons, Carters, Chimbwandas, Sue, Clive, Roger, Trisha, Nan, Shirley, Maureen, and Rachel, your words have been much appreciated. And in loving memory of my grandfather Brian, who bought me way more than ’leven books.
To everyone reading this, thank you. I’m so glad you chose this book, and I hope you enjoyed it!
ISBN-13: 9780369705617
This Is Why We Lie
Copyright © 2021 by Gabriella Lepore
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
For questions and comments about the quality of this book, please contact us at CustomerService@Harlequin.com.
Inkyard Press
22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada
www.InkyardPress.com