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Back One White Lie Save as PDF
Chapters (59)
  1. COVER
  2. About the Author
  3. DEDICATION
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

He cleared his throat. ‘My parents died a year apart. Lung cancer,’ he said. ‘Mom when I was twenty-six. Dad when I was twenty-seven.’

I shook my head, but didn’t say anything, because I knew there wasn’t a single word in the English language that would suffice. Words were made to describe, to explain, not to console.

‘I’m not an only child, but my brother was only nineteen.’ John’s eyes penetrated deep. ‘He’s got schizophrenia, been in a home for years.’

‘Christ,’ I said for the second time that night.

Vera forced a laugh. ‘Welcome to the neighborhood! We sure do know how to keep things light.’

John’s head swiveled toward her. ‘Seriously, though, if I hadn’t met Vera, I don’t know what I would have done.’ He turned his hand over, lacing his fingers through hers.

My insides ached; I’d thought the same thing, not so long ago. From the beginning, Davis had felt almost like a healer, my very own emotional balm. He was the family I’d lost, the unconditional love I craved.

Or I’d thought he was, at least.

Vera unlaced her fingers and fiddled with her napkin. ‘We’re so glad you moved in,’ she said, changing the subject. ‘The woman who lived in your place before, well, she and I were quite close – I guess we all were.’ Her eyes briefly caught John’s. ‘She moved to a place right in town, but even before then …’ Vera folded her napkin into a tight little square, then shook it, undoing her work. ‘Anyway, I was afraid the new tenant wouldn’t be cool, but look.’ She smiled. ‘Here you are.’ I felt myself blush.

‘Should we go out to the gazebo in back?’ John asked, clearing his throat and pushing his plate forward. ‘We’ve still got half a bottle of wine to at least attempt to drink away all our sorrows, and it’s not too hot out.’

‘Let’s do,’ Vera said, voice light. ‘And I promise not to ask any more serious questions.’

‘I’m going to hold you to that, V,’ John said.

When I didn’t object, John scooted his chair back and stood, tossing his napkin onto his plate.

‘So were you friends with the previous tenant, too?’ I asked him as we squeezed through the doorway to the living room.

‘Rachel?’ he asked, the name on the whiteboard clinking into place like ice in whiskey. ‘Of course we were friends,’ he said. ‘She was my neighbor, just like you.’

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FIVE

The two of them came to life beneath the string lights of the gazebo.

John looked almost painfully striking, his jaw strong, eyes bright. Nestled beside him, Vera was a siren. A goddess-witch, her hair now free, cascading past her shoulders.