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Back The Lies I Told Save as PDF
Chapters (60)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. CONTENTS
  4. START READING
  5. 1 HIM
  6. 2 MARISA
  7. 3 MARISA
  8. 4 BRIT
  9. 5 MARISA
  10. 6 BRIT
  11. 7 MARISA
  12. 8 HIM
  13. 9 MARISA
  14. 10 MARISA
  15. 11 HIM
  16. 12 MARISA
  17. 13 MARISA
  18. 14 MARISA
  19. 15 HIM
  20. 16 MARISA
  21. 17 RICHARDS
  22. 18 MARISA
  23. 19 MARISA
  24. 20 MARISA
  25. 21 BRIT
  26. 22 MARISA
  27. 23 MARISA
  28. 24 HIM
  29. 25 MARISA
  30. 26 HIM
  31. 27 MARISA
  32. 28 MARISA
  33. 29 BRIT
  34. 30 JO-JO
  35. 31 MARISA
  36. 32 MARISA
  37. 33 MARISA
  38. 34 RICHARDS
  39. 35 JO-JO
  40. 36 HIM
  41. 37 JACK
  42. 38 MARISA
  43. 39 MARISA
  44. 40 BRIT
  45. 41 MARISA
  46. 42 HIM
  47. 43 JO-JO
  48. 44 MARISA
  49. 45 HIM
  50. 46 RICHARDS
  51. 47 MARISA
  52. 48 BRIT
  53. 49 MARISA
  54. 50 MARISA
  55. 51 MARISA
  56. 52 MARISA
  57. 53 MARISA
  58. 54 BRIT
  59. EPILOGUE MARISA
  60. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The door to my room opened and Richards appeared. “That’s good, Marisa.”

I rose. My legs were shaky, and my hands were trembling.

David looked up at me. “I’m sorry. Forgive me.”

He would spend the rest of his life suffering. He would rot in hell. I wanted to rail. Tell him I hated him.

“Let it go,” Clare whispered. “Don’t carry this anymore.”

My shoulders slumped. “I’ll never forgive you, David. Never.”

53 MARISA

53

MARISA

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Noon

After a long hot shower, I dressed in old sweats and a T-shirt and spent an hour scrubbing all the surfaces covered in fingerprint powder before my body gave out and I had to lie down on the couch for a nap. I wasn’t sure how long I slept, but when I woke, the sun was setting over the river.

A knock at my door had me rising carefully. My body was still stiff, and my gut tender to the touch. At least the hangover from the tequila was fading. I moved to the door and looked out the peephole. Alan.

I undid the locks and opened the door. “Hey.”

His gaze swept over me. “I heard what happened. I know you probably need time, but I had to see you.”

The concern in his voice touched me, and it took a moment before I could speak. “What can I say? Never a dull moment.”

“Are you okay?”

“No, but I will be.”

He held up a bag of burgers and french fries. “Want to come by for dinner? You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.”

“I won’t be great company now.”

“You’re many things, Marisa Stockton, but one of them is not boring.”

I laughed and quickly paid for it with a jab of pain. “Sure, burgers sound great.”

Tomorrow, I’d find another meeting, talk about what had happened, and get back to my work and art. My life would go on. There’d be no Clare or Brit. And Jo-Jo, no doubt, would be consumed with Jack’s trial and the baby. She’d saved me, but she’d also lied. If I never saw her again, that would suit me just fine.

I’d cut these people out of my life. I would be okay. I should’ve felt lost and lonely, but I didn’t.

“You did it,” Clare whispered.

No, we did. We did.

54 BRIT

54

BRIT

Six Months Later

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Noon

I’d accepted Jo-Jo’s invitation to meet because I was curious. I didn’t really want to know how she was doing. I didn’t care if she and Jack were dreading his trial. I didn’t care if she was ready to deliver or if she was afraid of the future.