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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

Leaning over the kitchen counter in the dark, I looked it up on my phone. Thankfully, Walmart was open.

Out of habit, I checked the news. It was a twice a day habit for me, slightly excessive, admittedly addictive, but not detrimental. I checked first thing in the morning to make sure the world hadn’t blown up overnight and checked last thing at night to make sure the world wasn’t in the midst of blowing up.

My news scroll was Local, US, World, and Entertainment. I skipped everything else.

A thumbnail photo of a woman that looked vaguely familiar topped my local news. Hairs prickled along my arms as I clicked on the headline. Words flashed onto the screen. Her photo, now tripled in size, landed beside the headline.

Desiree Moss, 24, of Hunther, arrested for home invasion and attempted burglary.

Same heavy eyeliner. Same tangle of voluminous wavy brown hair. Emily’s Desiree. My Desiree. The woman I’d just pretended to be while I was fucking my husband. An inverted triangle of her red swimsuit peeked out of her gray zip-up jacket.

She must have gone straight from Guppy Swim School to her burglar gig.

She had bed head. Not of the sleepy sexy variety, but of the rough-night, resisted arrest and got wrestled to the ground kind.

Desiree’s characteristic swim instructor face was bright eyes, wide-open smile, exposed snaggleteeth, and ready to say something wild or inappropriate. In her mugshot, her mouth was a thin line, her eyes hard apathy. She didn’t give a fuck.

I grabbed my car keys and headed for the garage.

9

9

TREVOR

I woke suddenly in the night, my eyes flying open, not sure why I’d woken so abruptly. Had I heard something?

I didn’t think so. I’d been overcaffeinated and overscheduled; even during sleep my brain was ready to slide into alertness. Eyes on the ceiling, I probed my mental calendar. Did I forget something?

No, you’re good.

It was true. I was good. Even though Mom was dying, even though things were crazy right now and I was short on sleep, I felt good. Looser. More alive. That bear inside me was awake now, sitting up, eyes blinking, hunger coming online, sniffing the air to catch the scent of fish.

I reached for Heather, but the sheets were empty and cold. She was missing.

She was probably in bed with Emily. That one was needy during the night. Her head was full of boogeymen, and she didn’t like this house. Too many shadows here, she had said. All the rooms feel like night. If the kid had a nightmare, it was easier for Heather to fall asleep in Emily’s twin bed instead of waiting for Em to fall asleep and sneaking back into our bed.