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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

“While I was upstairs, I got through to our insurance company,” he said. “They’ll send a cleaning company, and they’ll try to get a security company today. Once the system’s in, they’ll give us a discount on our insurance. That will help alleviate the cost.”

Lisa said nothing.

“And if all that gets started before noon, I’ll go to the office—”

“You’d go to the office? After what happened to us? To me?”

Jeff met Lisa’s gaze, disbelief written on her face.

“No, no. I mean—” Jeff looked away. “I mean, once we get things straightened out here.”

“I think we should move back to Cleveland.”

“What?” Jeff placed his fork on the counter, choosing his words before speaking. “What happened was horrible, but we’ll get it behind us. Thank God you weren’t hurt.”

Lisa’s eyes grew fierce with disagreement.

“That was stupid. You know what I mean. I’m sorry,” Jeff said.

“That creep is still out there! It’s simple. We sell the house, and we move back to Cleveland.”

“Lisa, you know we can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Why not?” Jeff searched the walls for the answer. “Honey, it’s just not an option with our situation. Look, I know you love this house, you said yourself it’s beautiful here, you love this neighborhood. This is where we’ll have kids, live our dream.”

Lisa hugged herself, fighting tears.

“Lisa, seriously. If I told the company we’re moving back, they’d fire me. I’d be abandoning the South American job, a twenty-million-dollar account. They wouldn’t pay a cent for another move. We’d be drowning in moving costs and all of our other debt. I’d have no job in Cleveland. We’d be starting down a slippery slope toward losing everything. Everything!”

“Jeff, that’s not true.”

“Believe me, I know what it’s like to live on the street.”

“I know the horrible things what you went through as a kid, but this is different—that won’t happen to us.”

“It happens to people like us all the time, Lisa. And I swear, I’ll never go through that again. Ever. I’ve worked too hard, come too far. We can’t move back. It’s just not going to happen.”

She covered her face with her hands. After a moment, he heard her muffled voice. “When he had me out by the pool, he said, ‘I know everything about you. I’ll be watching you. I’m going to come back and fuck you.’”

Jeff’s face whitened, anger rippling through him.

He pulled Lisa to him, holding her as she sobbed.

“I’m here,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere. We’ll fight this thing together. You’re brave and you’re strong.”