Her hands reached out for me, like she wanted to fucking hold me, and I shoved her away. She didn’t get to touch me anymore. Not after letting him… Not after repeatedly denying the truth. Whatever lie she thought she was going to sell me right now, it wouldn’t work. Because I’d already caught her in a lie tonight. She knew it, I knew it. And she couldn’t deny that one…because I’d been there when he had left her apartment earlier.

“Don’t, Kiera. Don’t give me another half-truth. You lied about Denny being here!” She started shaking her head, and I spat out, “No, Kiera, a lie of omission is still a lie!” Leaning forward, I whispered, “You should know that better than anyone.” Our lie, our secret…most of the time, especially in the beginning, it hadn’t been a straight-up, bold-faced denial to Denny, to our friends. We’d simply…never mentioned it.

Her face fell. She looked completely defeated, but still, she tried to lie. “I’ve only been with you…”

Unbelievable. Un-fucking-believable. “Until today, we haven’t had sex since December…” My eyes purposely lowered to her stomach—the proof of her deception. “And I intimately know that you’re not showing yet, so you’re not four or five months along.” My eyes snapped up to hers, the hate inside me re-hardening my shell. “I’m not stupid, Kiera…I know the kid isn’t mine.” Just stop lying. Please…just fucking stop.

After a rough swallow, she opened her mouth. Anticipating another denial, my rage steamrolled right over her. I got in her face, and let the hatred spill out of me in an unexpected way. “If you’re still going to try denying that you slept with Denny, then go ahead, Kiera…tell me the only thing you can. Tell me you were raped. I dare you.”

I almost couldn’t believe I said it, and a part of me wanted to take it back, but…fuck…when was she going to be fucking honest with me? And really, if she was still going to deny the truth, then what else could she say to explain being pregnant? An odd sense of understanding flashed through me then. Was this how my father felt when he’d confronted my mother? His unrelenting hatred toward me was not something I could ever forgive him for, but with how I felt right now, now that I was in his shoes…I almost felt sympathy for him. Almost.

I never in a million years thought Kiera would have something in common with my mother. That she would do to me what Mom had done to Dad. It sickened me. I can’t handle this.