The Truth She Knew (14 page)

I shook my head as the questions kept coming.

“
No, we aren’t sleeping together—yet. If you give me a minute, I’ll explain everything,” I said.

I couldn’t help but laugh. When Emma got excited, her questions came at you like rapid fire. When she was upset, it was like dodging little torpedoes.

“
Mama and I got in a fight. She found out I was with Walker.”

Emma gasped.

“
Yeah, right? I have no idea how she found out either.”

“
I do. God told her.” There was no mistaking the sarcasm in her tone.

“
Well, it doesn’t matter, but in a nutshell—” I put my fork down and stopped eating. “Emma, she pushed me. I fell and hit my head hard enough that I blacked out.”

Emma’s spoon clattered to the floor. At this rate, she would be eating with her fingers.

“
Are you okay?” she asked in disbelief. “Why didn’t you call me?” Her expression transitioned from shock, to worry, to anger in a matter of seconds.

“
I didn’t have time,” I said. “It happened so fast, and I was upset. I was afraid to call anyone. I just stayed out of Mama’s way until the next day when I went to work. Then, after work, Walker was waiting for me. I hadn’t called him that night and he finally got me talking. I told him more than I should have.” I took a drink from my Diet Coke.

“
What do you mean? You should have told him about her hurting you!”

“
Emma, keep your voice down, please.”

“
I’m sorry, I’m just upset.”

“
Hang on, there’s more. I also told Walker that I was possessed by demons.”

Emma stared at me, her expression unreadable.

“
Explain, please,” she said firmly.

“
For years, Mama has told me I’m possessed by demons. I was afraid that if I told anyone they wouldn’t want to stay around me. You’d think I was crazy and your parents sure as hell wouldn’t allow me around you and your brother. I was scared, and no matter how hard I tried to get better, it never worked. I thought if I told anyone about what was going on, no one would understand. And they didn’t.”

“
Lacey.”

“
Don’t, Emma,” I said, cutting her off. “Let me finish, and then you can say whatever you need to.”

She nodded.

“
I told Walker everything.” I leaned back in my seat and moved my food around on my plate. “That night I planned to stay with Joss, but when I told Walker what happened, he took me home with him instead. His mom said it was okay. Isn’t that nuts?” I asked and took a breath.

“
Anyway, we didn’t sleep together,” I continued. “I stayed with his family, but where it gets really interesting is when I met his Aunt Linda. She’s a mental health therapist and she talked to me about Mama. She thinks she’s sick, Emma. That Mama is mentally ill. She also said that I was in no way demon-possessed.”

I put my fork down. I wasn’t hungry anymore, and it was Emma’s turn.

“
I had no idea. I mean, I figured your mom had control issues, but Lacey, I had no clue what was going on. I should have put it together. I should have done something!” Her eyes grew wider as she talked.

“
Stop, it’s not your fault. I’ve kept this quiet for a long time. I mean, how do you tell someone you’re possessed?”

“
But you’re not. That’s insane, and it pisses me off that you believed it—that she said it so many times that it became the truth to you. Honey, if you want to see possessed, I’ll show you what that looks like. You can come over and watch
The Exorcist
with me. You’ve never acted like that, especially the head-spinning thing,” Emma said and attempted a smile.

Emma’s classic humor announced itself during tense situations. It was her way of coping when she didn’t know what to do.

“
I’m not sure I want to watch it, but I appreciate the support.”

“
You need to move out, Lacey.”

“
I can’t. She’s my mother, and it’s my responsibility to get her help. Don’t you understand? She’s sick, but she can get help.”

“
I’m sorry, what did you say? No. No way. She is
not
your responsibility.”

“
Emma, I’m serious.”

“
So am I, and she’s abusive. Why in the world would you think it’s your responsibility to get her help?”

I flinched at Emma’s words, each one stinging me like tiny needles.

“
What if it were your mom?” I leaned forward, daring her to answer any differently than I had.

“
I’d leave. I would leave and call for help when I was in a safe place.”

“
I’ll keep it in mind,” I mumbled as I leaned back in my seat again. “But right now I have to wait until Krissy leaves.”

“
Jiminy Christmas! Krissy is home? Why? For what?”

“
Mama told her we got into a fight and I shoved her.”

Emma laughed so loud that people turned around and stared at us.

“
What’s so funny about that? I wanted to slap the shit out of Krissy the moment she showed up and you think it’s funny?”

“
What I think is funny is the idea that you would ever shove your mom, first of all—not to mention the fact that you wouldn’t even be able to move her. No offense, but your mom isn’t a small woman. I guess if you got a running start, maybe?”

I smiled at the thought of me backing up and running headfirst at Mama. I’d watched too many cartoons, and Emma wasn’t helping.

“
So, you told Walker and his family and they took care of you?” Emma asked.

“
Yeah, they’re really great. Walker has been amazing, even with everything that’s going on with him. I was shocked when I met Susan.”

“
What do you mean?”

“
She has stage-four lung cancer. She doesn’t have much longer to live. Walker and Linda have been taking care of her.”

Emma gasped. “I’m so sorry.”

My heart sank as I thought about the situation. Not only was I in love with Walker, but I was already closer to Susan and Garrett than I was my own family. They were quickly becoming my new one.

“
Me too.”

“
So, what now?”

“
Well, I’m trying to believe I’m not possessed, and sometimes it’s easy for me to think I’m not, but there’s a part of me that tugs at my sleeve and says that no one understands except Mama. It terrifies me to think she’s right.”

Emma leaned across the table.

“
She’s not right, Lacey. She’s just using it to control you and everyone else in the house. She’s found exactly how to feed on one of people’s biggest fears—dying and going to hell. That’s not okay.”

“
I hope you’re right.”

“
I am. You need to trust me. And I’m not the only one telling you the truth. You have several of us, including Walker’s aunt. I’d think her word was good for something, right?”

“
Yeah. Listen, I’m sorry I took up the entire dinner telling you all the crap that’s happened. Thanks for listening to me.”

“
I’m always a phone call away, but I still think you should reconsider trying to help your mom. I’m not trying to be mean—I’m just trying to protect you.”

“
I know,” I mumbled.

Emma and I walked back to Jack’s Department Store and made plans for next week. She made me promise I’d call every day and tell her where I was staying and what was going on.

Most of the time I was happy to get off work, but not tonight. The only thing that would make it tolerable was meeting Walker for a few minutes before going home.

I pushed through the back doors at work and stepped into the early evening air. It was perfect. The stars danced in the sky as I walked across the parking lot. I found Walker leaning against my Mustang and hurried toward him.

“
Hi,” I said as I unlocked my car door and tossed my purse onto the passenger seat.

“
You look amazing,” he said as he kissed me. “Mmmm, peppermint,” he whispered against my lips.

“
You like peppermint? It’s my lip gloss. I’ll have to use more of it.”

“
I like peppermint on you,” he said as he drew me in for a deeper kiss.

I lost all sense of time and my surroundings as we kissed. I could have stayed in that moment forever, with his body against mine. I never wanted to let him go.

“
I love you muches and muches and muches,” he whispered against my cheek.

A giggle escaped me as his whisper tickled my ear.

“
I love you too, Walker. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

The cars slowly dissipated from the parking lot, and only a few were left. I didn’t have much more time with him, but I hopped up on the hood of my car and wrapped my legs around his waist.

“
How was your day?” I asked.

“
I ran some errands for Mom and picked Garrett up from school. He was really excited—he got a B on the paper you helped him with.”

“
That’s fantastic! I’ll congratulate him when I see him next.”

“
Thank you for helping him. It meant a lot to Mom, too.”

“
How is she?”

“
About the same.” He paused for a moment and played with my fingers.

“
Lace, I never know what to expect. When I wake up in the morning, my first thought is, did she make it? One of these days I’m going to walk into her bedroom and she isn’t going to wake up. It’s going to be over. It makes me sick.”

I pulled Walker in for a hug and gently rubbed his neck. There weren’t any words I could say that would make anything better; I could only promise to be there with him when it happened. I’d lost friends before, but not a parent or sibling. I wasn’t equipped to help him through it, or even myself for that matter, but I loved him and would be there for him and Garrett. I was grateful for Aunt Linda as well.

“
Walker, what happens to you and Garrett when—?” I couldn’t finish the question.

I hadn’t thought about where they would live. Would he stay here? Would he find his dad and move? Did he have another relative that lived out of state? Was I going to lose him too? I bit my lip in an attempt to hide my panic.

“
We’re staying at the house. Garrett will move upstairs with Aunt Linda and I’ll live downstairs.”

I tried not to show my immediate relief. It was selfish that I’d even had the thought when Walker was losing his mom, but I couldn’t help it.

“
Would you be sad if I left?”

“
It would shatter me times three.”

“
What? Times three?”

“
Walker, I love you. I’m closer to your family than my own.” My voice hiccupped as I fought back the tears. “I can’t lose all of you. Losing Susan is bad enough.”

Walker leaned in and kissed me softly. He wanted to make me feel better, but he couldn’t when he felt worse than I did.

He pulled my hips forward and into him. His response to our kiss gave me something much better to think about. I slipped my fingers underneath the waist of his jeans and tugged. His skin warmed my fingers. I wanted to take his shirt off and run my hands along his chest and stomach. I wanted to be in his bedroom. I wanted him.

“
Lacey Anne!”

Walker and I snapped to attention. I peered into the darkness, but I’d already recognized the voice of the person who said my name. There was no mistaking her.

“
Son of a bitch,” I mumbled as I slid off my car and grabbed Walker’s hand.

“
So this is how you’re spending your time?” Krissy asked as her eyes traveled up and down Walker. “Won’t Mama love to find out about this.” She was almost rubbing her hands together with the excitement of her discovery.

“
I’m Walker,” he said as he extended his hand to Krissy.

“
So you are,” she said, ignoring his extended hand.

“
Krissy, you can’t tell Mama,” I stammered.

“
Oh, but I can, little sister. And I will.”

She almost couldn’t talk she was smiling so hard.

Walker stepped in front of me as he realized who she was and what was unfolding.

“
I don’t think that’s a good idea, Krissy. I realize you’ve been away at college, but there’s been a lot going on. Lacey and I aren’t doing anything wrong. There’s no reason to say anything to anyone.”

“
That’s where you’re very wrong. I’m not sure what Lacey has been telling you, but I’d be happy to set you straight,” she said as she pushed her pointer finger into his chest.

I didn’t even have enough time to step forward before Walker grabbed her hand.

“
If I want you or anyone else to touch me, I’ll make it unmistakably clear.”

I couldn’t see Walker’s face, but I couldn’t miss the sharp tone in his voice. He was pissed.

“
And let me make something else clear. Whether you like it or not, I love Lacey.”

Krissy’s laugh echoed through the parking lot.

“
You’re just as stupid as she is. Let me give you a tip for your own well-being, Walker. Stay away from her. Lacey is dangerous. She rips through people’s lives like a tornado, destroying everything around her and only leaving pain in her wake. She will lie to you about her family, lie to you about her school—hell, she’ll lie to anyone about anything. You can’t believe a word she says.”

“
Krissy, stop! Walker, it’s not true.”

“
And here’s the icing on the cake. She’s a mental case, crazy, she does bizarre shit and then blames anyone she can. She even shoved her own mother last week during a fight!”