BooksBarbecue
Back Where I Left Her Save as PDF
Chapters (47)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  47. Booklist

Amelia recoiled, her eyes narrowing. “I um...I didn’t know all this. Honestly, I just couldn’t deal anymore. After Lauren told me who she was, I didn’t know what to think. Who to believe. I don’t know if I am who she says I am, but I do know you’ve kept things from me. You’re not exactly who I thought, and—” She looked straight at Whitney. “It’s all just too much. I needed a break.”

“I get that,” Whitney said to her. Then she turned to Lauren. “And I understand how you’re feeling too.” Lauren scoffed at this, rolling her eyes. Whitney held up her hand. “No, I do. And you’re wrong. I have suffered. I’ve felt loss and sadness and, yeah, sometimes remorse. But not for the things you think. If you’d both just hear what I have to say. Listen to what really happened, you’d understand.”

“No one wants to hear a sob story from a liar,” Lauren sneered. But Amelia’s stance relaxed a bit, her eyes peering upward.

“I...umm...kinda wanna hear what she has to say,” Amelia practically whispered.

Relief flowed through Whitney’s chest. She’d never wanted to tell Amelia the truth about who she was and how Whitney had gotten her. But now she had no choice.

And she was ready.

37

SO HERE WE ARE. The part of the story I’ve been dreading the most. I never wanted you to find out. Certainly, not this way. Not because I didn’t think you deserved the truth, but because I was trying to protect you. And I fear that this will only hurt you.

But I don’t have a choice, do I?

You already know most of it, and at this point you’re thinking the worst anyway. I might as well come clean.

Dan wasn’t there when you were born, Amelia. He was on a business trip when I went into labor. He tried his best to get home in time, but had trouble getting an earlier flight.

My mom was there for part of the time, but I sent her home early. She was being so judgmental. She and Dad had been at the house that morning when Dan and I came back from Millie’s. They heard Dan’s accusations, and, of course, sided with him. With my track record, no one ever believed me.

But nothing had happened—ever—between Mitch and me. Dan was the only man I’d ever been with.

I finally told him everything. What a liar I’d been. How Mitch was never mine. How I’d made it all up. My biggest fear was that he’d leave me when he knew the ugly truth. But the funny thing is he didn’t even believe me.

He continued to believe the lie.