The Truth About Us

She planted her feet in front of the bush and swallowed. Reaching out, she touched a trembling fingertip to a berry. The image from the screen of her phone the day in the café with Kaden flashed in her head. “Belladonna,” she whispered.

A flash of another memory hit her, she heard Kaden’s father’s voice. “I didn’t say we found the person who drowned him.... Some eyewitnesses said the man he met that night was older, not middle-aged like first reported.”

The image Kaden took of the case files zipped through her mind’s eye. The coroner’s report and him saying, “He was poisoned with some sort of plant. Belladonna...”

Belladonna.

The words echoed in her head while she recalled Lawson’s daughter, the cats curling around her feet. “You know, I always thought that phone call my father made the night he died had to do with why he was in Newberry in the first place.”

Then, her Mom’s voice, talking about her grandfather. “I found out he drove out of town, to Newberry.”

Abigail ripped her hand away from the berry like it might burn a hole in her flesh. She stumbled backward as bile rose to the back of her throat.

No, no, no.

She closed her eyes and shook her head like a toddler throwing a tantrum. She didn’t want to believe it. But she had to. The truth was right in front of her. Her grandfather had lied to her.

A stabbing pain pierced her skull. She raised her hands, squeezing her head like she could crack it open and remove everything inside.

Her stomach clenched as she dove toward the bushes, dry-heaving into the empty space between them. With a sob, she allowed her thoughts to surface. Her grandfather killed Lawson. He was the man Lawson met at the diner that night, where he must’ve poisoned something he ate. He wasn’t sorry. He wasn’t ashamed. He was a murderer when he was young, and he was still one now.

He’s every bit the monster he claimed not to be.

Sweat beaded her brow as her stomach somersaulted with the knowledge.

“Abigail?”

Abby started at the sound of her name. She glanced across the yard toward the sound of Kaden’s voice which shot through her heart like an arrow, reverberating in her chest.

He stood just inside the open gate, hands shoved in the pockets of his khaki shorts. The soft breeze ruffled his hair, as his eyes focused on her face like he was trying to read her thoughts.

But she didn’t want him to see her like this. She didn’t want him to know her terrible secret because she couldn’t stand the thought of the way he might look at her if he did.

Lurching forward, in one giant heave, Abby expelled the contents of her stomach to the ground by her feet.

SHE WIPED HER MOUTH with the back of her hand, turning her back to Kaden. Shame burned in her cheeks, and she wished with everything inside her that he’d disappear.

She stepped away from the pool house, off balance. Of all the times he could find her, now had to be

the worst. As he drew closer, she headed toward the gate. All she wanted to do was escape—from having to confront him, from this place, her life, these secrets.

Her gaze zeroed in on her exit, desperately needing to get there. She passed him without a word, but he caught her arm, stopping her.

Her stomach caved in on itself, and when she dared to meet his eye, she lost herself. Straightening, she pushed her shoulders back and forced the longing from her voice. “Don’t you have school?”

“Don’t you?” he asked, his eyes searching her face until she couldn’t stand it any longer, and she shrugged him off.

She took a step past him, needing space and room to breathe. “You should get back before you get in trouble.”

“You know, don’t you?”

Abby paused, staring out at the lush green lawn and swallowed hard.

“You figured it all out.” When she said nothing, he added, “You can’t keep avoiding me forever.”

She turned to him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

For the first time since she met him, she read anger in his eyes. “Really? That’s how you’re going to play this? You found out the secret, and let me guess, it’s worse than you expected. So, now you’re just going to act like I was never a part of this? Like you don’t have someone else that wants answers, too? That’s crap, and you know it.”