Into the Garden (Wildflowers 5)

"Oh, this house is your clubhouse?"

"Yes, in a way," I said softly.

"Cathy, this is all insane. You're going to be in big trouble."

I shook my head.

"You promised them, Stuart. You said you would help."

"I know. I know, but the reality is you can't keep this up for months and months. Something's going to happen. Your father will eventually figure out something's not right. Don't you see? You've got to call them back and get them to go to the police, and if they won't, you've got to do it yourself. That's your sister in the ground there!"

I shook my head vigorously.

"No, that would be a horrible betrayal."

"What's more important?" he asked. "Loyalty to them or doing the right thing?"

"Loyalty to them," I said firmly, and stepped back, out of his reach.

"It's not going to work," he insisted. He looked back at the grave and shook his head.

"You promised," I said through my tears. "I talked them into trusting you," I moaned. "I thought you really cared about me, wanted to be with me."

"I do," he said. "That's why I'm telling you all this." He stared at the ground. "Let me think Oaths, clubs, OWP's, Jesus."

I felt a wave of anger and hardness come over me.

"Don't think about it anymore. You can go home now, Stuart," I said, grinding back my tears with my closed hand. I wiped my cheeks and straightened up on my crutches. "Just forget everything we've told you and go home. You don't have to help us, help me, and get yourself into trouble, too."

"I didn't say I wouldn't help you," he muttered. "I'm trying to help you now. Think of yourself."

"I'm going back inside," I said, and turned away from him. As quickly as I could, I went through the house and into the living room where I sat in what had always been Geraldine's chair. A few moments later he appeared in the doorway, his shoulders slouched, his eyes directed down.

"I really do want to help you, Cathy, and I don't want to leave you. I like you a lot, but I've got to think about my mother and what this would do to her on top of everything she's suffered. There's my little brother to think about, too."

"Go home to your mother and your little brother, Stuart."

He raised his head.

"I mean, I'm willing to stay with you, to drive you to the police if you want."

I forced a smile.

"Thank you, Stuart. If I decide to do that, I'll call you," I said.

"Cathy, you're just not thinking of the consequences," he insisted.

"Really? What are the consequences, Stuart? Are they worse than the consequences I've suffered merely by being born into this nightmare? Jade told you to use your imagination, but no matter how good your imagination is, you can't even begin to understand. Despite my father, these past days have been the first days when I felt, I believed, I could be someone with her own identity, some- one who could love and be loved. My disturbed friends, as you called them, helped me to do that and never once really thought about what risks they were taking. We really are special. You can laugh and make fun of us as much as you like, but we're the OWP's," I said.

"Cathy ..."

"It's all right, Stuart. I really do understand what you're going through. I know now that it would be unfair to ask you to do anything like this. I'm not upset with you. You do have responsibilities to your mother and brother."

He looked relieved.

"I mean, I'll be happy to stay with you and if you want to do what I said, help you to do it. Until then, I swear," he said, raising his hand as if he were in court, "I won't talk about any of this. If something h

appens later on, I'll say I didn't really believe it or something, but if I'm part of the impersonation effort and the cover-up, that becomes impossible." "I understand," I said. "I really do."