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Back Confess to Me Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Sharon Doering
  3. Title Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. Author’s Note
  86. Acknowledgements
  87. About the Author

I filled a cup at the sink. I was so thirsty, so dehydrated, my head pulsed along with my heart. I gulped. “Hey, Emily, how would you like McDonald’s pancake sandwich for breakfast?” My stomach crawled into itself at the thought of a greasy sandwich, but if I bought one for myself and left it in the bag, my stomach might come around in a few hours.

“Whoohoo!” she screamed, jumping onto her feet on the couch.

“Shh. Dad’s sleeping,” I said, suddenly terrified I’d hear his lofty, clownish footsteps pound on the stairs. Who was this man?

63

63

TREVOR

I woke up from a nightmare, Dawn’s face lingering in my mind. Her skin gray, her eyes lifeless and swollen. I wished I didn’t know what she looked like dead.

I reached for Heather. The sheets on her side of the bed were cool and empty.

As my brain came online, guilt rushed in. Then, anger.

She’d seen me with Brandon Paulson.

The realization was awful, but it was there. This wasn’t going away. She knew too much.

I stretched my neck, cracked it, flexed the muscles in my hands. I pulled on my pants and went looking for her.

She was gone. Emily too.

I searched for her location on my phone, but she’d turned off her location tracking.

Skin hot, palms sweaty, I called her.

No answer. I waited for voicemail. Controlling my frustration, I forced a gentle, kind tone.

“Heather. I’m taking Sawyer to see his mom today, but, well, we need to talk. I’ve done something terrible.”

64

64

HEATHER

I parked my car on the street, left the windows half down, and gave Emily my iPad. I walked through the long stretch of grass toward Asher Moss’s door. The cow lay in the grass, watching me. Even if she were standing, I wasn’t worried about her anymore. I was becoming comfortable with the nuances of this town.

I was halfway up his lawn when Asher called, “Over here.” He stood at the far corner of the house, almost out of sight. I walked around to meet him.

Leaning against a shovel, he wore loose jeans and a tank top, dark curly hairs escaping from the scoop neck. He held the shovel handle in one hand and finger-shot me with the other. “Heather Hornne, right?”

Beside him, three potted rose bushes sat in the grass, their blooms full and yellow, browning at their edges. A pair of gardening gloves lay in the grass as well. He had dug his first hole.

“Yes.” I considered commenting on his beautiful rose bushes, asking why he wasn’t waiting another month for the weather to cool before he planted them, but Emily was in the car. “Gal Kender said a coyote killed her opossums. She said her son saw it happen. Why would she tell you and me a different story?”