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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

Days later Roxy was in my bed, blond hair spread on my pillow, my blanket tucked under her chin. Her smile creeped me out. I stuck her in a drawer. Days later, again, in my bed. I cut her hair off, wrapped her in toilet paper, and put her in the bathroom garbage can. Days later, she was in my bed again. Her hair had grown back. A few more incidents of Roxy reappearing and I took her to the kitchen and tried to cut her into pieces with Mom’s good scissors. I cut my finger and needed stitches.

I was hysterical at the hospital, panic-crying about the creepy doll, drawing suspicious, lingering looks from hospital staff, and it freaked my mom out. She conducted a brief investigation.

It turned out Holly was playing a joke on me. My sisters had gotten the same Barbie for Easter. There must have been a sale, and my mom bought three identical dolls. I was so young, I hadn’t realized. Holly, Becky, Shane, and Rodney laughed about it at the kitchen table.

Roxy wasn’t the only joke they played on me. That’s why I always assumed they were fucking with me. What did it matter, right?

Most of the time it didn’t matter—that I believed they were always screwing with me. But there was one time when it did, and I haven’t forgiven myself since.

28

28

My phone, balanced in the cup holder, played the circus theme song—my ringtone for Trevor. I managed to push the speakerphone button. “I’m driving to get Em. Can you hear me?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Listen. DeeDee just called me. She’s supposed to watch my mom tonight, but she’s throwing up. Food poisoning or something.”

“You think she’s playing hooky?” I expected the worst of people.

“It doesn’t matter.” He never expected the worst, and he wasn’t a gossip. “What matters is that I won’t be able to come home tonight.”

DeeDee kept night-watch for Trevor’s dying mother at her home. Paulina kept day-watch. DeeDee was supposedly young, an LPN. Paulina was a retired nurse.

It crossed my mind, not for the first time, that maybe Trevor was having an affair. His hair, I’m telling you. You’d be crazy not to want to touch his hair.

I’d never seen DeeDee or Paulina. DeeDee could be a hot college grad. Paulina could be one of those trim, young-grandma hotties only five or ten years older than me.

I actually didn’t care if he was cheating. I didn’t want him to cheat, obviously, and I would be devastated if he fell in love with someone, but I love me a good hand and foot massage, and that’s how I thought of it.

Hear me out.