Page 128 of Tell Me Lies
“What are you going to do now?” the woman asks.
“I’m going to wait for that little whore to wake up and tell me the truth. And then I’m going to shoot all three of you,” Amber replies without an ounce of emotion.
Kaelie stirs on the ground, and I watch in horror as she sits up. It takes her a moment to realize where she is before she jumps to her feet. Without an ounce of visible fear, she walks over to the older woman and takes the child from her. She holds the little body tightly and coos soft words until the crying stops before she faces Amber.
“What do you want? What could you possibly get from terrorizing my family?” she asks.
“As soon as Matthias joins us, we can get started.”
Fuck. I didn’t know she had seen me.
“Why would Matthias…” Kaelie starts to ask but I step into the kitchen.
She stares at me, fear clear for everyone to see. I smile at her, trying to reassure her.
“What are you doing, Amber?” I ask when I face her.
She looks like hell. Like she hasn’t slept in days. Her eyes are sunken, and her clothes are dirty. Shit. She’s been using and I’m sure it’s more than marijuana this time.
“I’m here to set things right. It’s time for everyone to see Kaelie for who she really is.” She waves the gun around the room and we all duck down. “I’ve lost everything I have ever loved to the whoring females in the Carter family and the world needs to know it. You need to know it.”
She points the gun at me, and I remain completely still. “I know everything,” I say calmly.
“Everything?” she asks with malice.
“I know everything I need to know.”
“I followed you.” She turns her attention to Kaelie once more. “I saw you go into his house and come out hours later. I knew you were just like your dirty fucking mother!”
“She is my tutor. I needed help,” I cut in.
“Don’t fucking lie to me!”
****
Kaelie Carter
My heart is about to beat right out of my fucking chest. I hold Ronin closer to my chest and pray that he will be safe from this insanity.
“He isn’t lying, Amber. He pays me to help him with his classwork.”
“Clearly,” Amber says loudly, “the truth isn’t important to the two of you. But I know more than you think I do. I know you were fucking him when my mom died, I see the way he looks at you, I know it all.”
“Please don’t,” I beg Amber with a sob. She doesn’t care about the consequences of her actions and just continues her rant. “I didn’t know he was the guy you were getting engaged to when we met.”
“Have you met him yet? I haven’t seen you here before?” She directs her question at Matthias, changing the topic and ignoring my words.
“It’s my first time here,” he replies. “And it doesn’t matter if she has a man in her life. I don’t need to meet him because she isn’t my woman.”
Amber laughs hysterically as tears pour down my face. “She only has one man in her life. His name is Ronin and he just turned one.”
I watch Matthias as he takes in the words she just said. It takes a moment before his gaze lands on my son. Our son. At first, he looks confused but soon fury is the predominant emotion visible.
“I’m sorry,” the words leave me in a whisper.
“You’ve been coming to my house for weeks and you never thought to mention anything?”
My heart hurts. I was working up the courage to tell him. Things between us were getting better, we were even semi-friendly with each other. Now Amber has ruined any chance I might have had of getting things on the right foot with us.