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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

My mom ruined my life, but I had ruined hers first. It was a game of tag I’d mistakenly thought she’d started.

*  *  *

My phone was on the passenger seat. When it rang, I kept my eyes on the highway and answered without checking.

“Heather, it’s Claire.” I wasn’t expecting it to be her. “You left.”

“Claire. I’m not up for talking.”

“Wait. Wait.” She inhaled, sighed. “Give me a second, OK? I probably should have given you a warning. But I wasn’t thinking you’d leave, and you missed the other videos. You missed the good parts.”

There couldn’t possibly be good parts.

“What?”

“My dad recorded your dad as well. When your dad heard what you’d said, he realized you were talking about Star Wars. He threw an epic fit, threatened my dad, and got you and your mom out that day.”

My head was hot. My eyes burned.

Why hadn’t my dad raised hell in this town? Why hadn’t he exposed Clifford Paulson? Maybe he tried, but it’s hard to go up against money and power.

“Heather, if it weren’t for you, who knows what would have happened to your mom? My dad was committed to the idea that your mom killed Dawn. He drugged and harassed her until she signed that confession. I mean, it’s insane, right? She walked into my dad’s office for depression and was tricked into committing herself. Heather, you got her out.”

“I backstabbed my own mother.”

You’ve done worse though, haven’t you?

“You were so young.” Claire was smiling; I could hear it in her voice.

I thought of my mom after Gal resuscitated me. My mom had said, jaw tight, her body stiff and hateful, “Goddamn. It is always something.”

69

69

The sky looked like a bruise with deep purple and blue splotches, and a smattering of ugly yellow.

Crossing back into the city proper was bland. No landmarks. No welcome signs. Just that small rectangular sign framed in white, letting me know I was here. Prairie grass in all directions. There was windblown trash along the side of the road and, when the wind blew from the west, the smell of cow manure.

Up ahead, Shawnee’s Roadhouse. The flat metal roof in the distance looked welcoming because my bladder had been strained for hours. I should have peed at the hospital, or at Claire’s, but I’d been too anxious. Home was a twenty-minute drive, which was twenty minutes too long.

I pulled off the highway into a quarter-full gravel lot.

My phone rang again. I didn’t recognize the number, and immediately worried about Emily. “Hello?”

“It’s Dez. Where are you?”

“I’m driving. Well, I’m stopped now for the restroom.” I grabbed my purse and headed toward the restaurant.

“Where?”

“Shawnee’s.”

“Oooh. Wait for me. I’ll be there in ten.” She ended the call.