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Back Break Us Save as PDF
Chapters (43)
  1. DEDICATION
  2. PROLOGUE
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. EPILOGUE
  38. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  39. BACK AD
  40. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  41. BOOKS BY JENNIFER BROWN
  42. CREDITS
  43. ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

“Sorry,” I said, relieved. “I forgot.”

He grumbled and turned back to the living room. I heard the TV snap off as I hustled my way to my room, locked the door, and flopped belly-first down on my bed.

I had some reading to do.

21

Dear Carrie,

I was both happy and sad to hear from you this weekend. Happy because it’s been too long and I missed you. Sad because of what your letter told me. He has sucked you back in. I would say I don’t know how, but I guess that would be wrong. I do know how. He is who he is. Nobody says no to him. Well, nobody says no to him without paying for it, anyway.

Maybe there is a way for you to get out. It can’t be as bleak as it seems.

Come to Oildale. I have found a wonderful church home. You could live with me. You and Milo and little Nikki. We could be a family. I know it’s not impossible to get out, because I did it, Carrie.

Think about it. Please?

B

I had opened all the letters and ordered them according to their postmarks. There had been many of them, over a period of about six months. I wasn’t able to understand everything they talked about—it would have been really helpful if I’d had Mom’s letters to Brandi, too—but I was able to piece together a few things.

Mom had reached out to Brandi. She’d confided in her about going back to Hollywood Dreams. She’d felt trapped. Brandi had offered her a way out, but it wasn’t until she was pregnant and had nowhere else to go that she finally took Brandi up on her offer.

What Bill Hollis had over Mom was a bit of a mystery. But by reading Brandi’s letters, it became clearer what Mom had done.

Dear Carrie,

Yes, I heard about the fire. I had no idea, honey. I’m so sorry. Accidents happen, and you can’t take all the blame for that. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t drop the spotlight. You didn’t leave the props lying around. It is a shame—although not at all surprising—that he is using the accident as a way to get you back into the business.

You don’t have to do this. You have Milo and little Nikki to think of. What can he really do to you if you just refuse? Surely you’re not worried about him ruining your film career. With the failure of Eleven, it seems that it’s already been ruined. I hate to say that, but I’m afraid you need truth right now. And the truth is, that man isn’t your key to salvation.

You know who is.

Come see me.

B