BooksBarbecue
Back The Lying House Save as PDF
Chapters (103)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. 85
  92. 86
  93. 87
  94. 88
  95. 89
  96. 90
  97. 91
  98. 92
  99. 93
  100. 94
  101. Epilogue
  102. Acknowledgments and a Personal Note
  103. Excerpt

Jeff had said she’d given him a few days to get her a job. Then what? Problem solved? Lisa doubted it. That woman was unbalanced, and this thing between her and Jeff, whatever it was, went deep.

There had to be a way out of this.

Lisa couldn’t stand it any longer. She couldn’t just sit in the house fretting. Her sister’s words came to her, how she should not let Vida make her a prisoner.

Running will help me think. It will help me decide what to do.

She changed, checked to be sure she had her spray and panic alarm—secretly wishing she had a gun—then armed and locked the house, and left.

The Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” thudded through her headphones as she ran. The fresh air, the fragrant smell of flowers and the wide streets made her feel good as she listened to the song.

Lisa could not let Vida and everything her demands entailed ruin everything. She had to trust Jeff. As hard as it was, she had to trust him. Yet she was terrified that Vida, given her background, might very well know someone like Loften and could’ve possibly sent him to their house.

She knows where we live, Jeff had said.

Jeff.

He was a bigger problem.

Lisa struggled to believe that he’d told her the truth about his relationship with Vida and his story about her pictures.

He held back the truth from me before. Is he lying about Vida now? Did they have an affair—is that what this is really about? Why he’s so desperate to keep things quiet? No, no, no. I’ve got to stop thinking the worst about him. In my heart, I do know him. He wouldn’t cheat on me. Deep down to his core, he’s not a dishonest guy. He’s just under so much pressure right now. That’s what I have to believe.

Entering the big park with its huge trees, thick shady tunnels of green, she switched off her music and pulled out her plugs to enjoy the birdsong of the woods. It was early afternoon; few people were around today. She passed a mother with her little girl, a child who looked so much like—

Suddenly she was in the back seat of Stacey’s car again, Stacey’s dad driving and drinking from a can, playing the radio loud. Stacey playing a game with her… Stacey’s turn…now her turn…her father cursing…brakes screeching…metal and glass exploding… It was just a game…

Lisa knew it was her fault.

She didn’t deserve to be happy considering what she’d done, and everything that was happening with Jeff and Vida was the price she had to pay for the pain she’d caused.

And things could get worse.