Page 34 of We're All Liars
“Do y’all really think this will work?” Ryder asks as I consider the same question. “It has to.” Because I won’t lose her again.
30
MORGAN
“It’s so much colder than normal.” Mom glances around out the back door as she pulls her Saint Juliet sweater on. “Do you need a ride to school?”
“No, Cade’s picking me up.” The entire thing is stupid. Dad insisted that everyone meet at the school to ride the bus to the Dome just a few miles away. I think it’s more so he could have his stupid send-off party for a game he believes the Wildcats will lose.
I hear Dad’s chipper voice before I spot him walking into the kitchen. “Hey, everyone ready for the big day?”
What the fuck has him in a good mood? Oh yeah, killing his family in a few hours.
“I’m ready,” I tell him as he gives me a puzzled expression before a warm smile stretches across his lips.
He’s really playing up the part today and lays it on even thicker as he walks over to Mom, reaching for her hand and gently clasps it in his. He just stares at her for a few seconds before he says, “I know I’ve been a tyrant to live with, and everything has been in disarray. So, after the game, let’s just focus on us and getting our family back on track.” He brings her knuckles to his mouth, giving them a soft kiss. “Just like we used to be.”
Were we ever a happy family? I don’t recall it. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dad openly show affection to Mom. It’s fucking weird to witness. Even worse is her heartfelt smile and her almost teary eyes. “That would be amazing. We’ve really missed having the old you around.”
Humph. Old him was just as much of an ass as current him. And Mom knows that. How is she falling for his shit?
“How about a celebratory meal after the game? Just the family, as kind of a reset. There’s a new restaurant on the North Shore that sounds incredible.”
“Wonderful. It’s a date.” Mom looks so hopeful and serene. “We could all use a reset.”
I could use a reset from this shit because it’s insane. And so are his acting skills.
“Doubt I can make it.” He’d probably be suspicious if I easily went along with it.
Dad moves in front of me. It takes everything I have to keep a calm, unbothered exterior, but I do. The alternative is showing him fear or revealing a glimpse of the pain he’s caused, which isn’t gonna happen. This man should protect me, yet he wants me dead so he can enjoy a life with full pockets, free of a family weighing him down. He goes to reach for me, then stops and drops his hand back to his side. “I know it will take time. But you’ll see that I’m not as bad as you think. You should know better than most, when a King wants something, they go a little crazy to get it. The championship has been a dream of mine since I attended Saint Juliet. And now we’ll capture it and bring it home where it belongs. Then I’ll move on to my next dream. My family. I think we should take a vacation or maybe go visit the ranch. We haven’t done that in forever.”
“Sounds great.” It’s not hard to be cynical—it sounds like the worst punishment ever.
He slowly leans forward, his hand patting my bicep, his cheek touching mine as he makes a kissing sound. “You’ll always be my little girl.”
Gag me. Actually, there’s no need. I’m already about to puke on his green-and-gold windbreaker. The stupid jacket looks more and more like a preposterous costume by the second. But he plays the part of enthusiastic coach and doting dad well. I just can’t understand how Mom could fall for it after Thatcher said she’s aware of his affair and was planning to leave him. It’d given me some hope that she was stronger than I thought and wasn’t going to lie down and take whatever shit he serves her. Like she has for years.
Dad moves around the kitchen island before grabbing his keys. “I’ll see you at the game, sweetie,” Mom tells him.
“You can’t be that fucking gullible,” I state once he’s walked out the door.
She freezes, her shoulders stiffening as she glances back to me. “Glad I was convincing. I need him to believe everything is okay until it’s time to file for divorce and all his transgressions come to light.”
We won’t make it to that point if she goes along with his post-game charade. Things will go bad way before she serves him divorce papers. “You can’t use Maddie against him.” I almost regret saying it, but I need her to know that Madison must be left out of this. Just in case I don’t succeed, and it comes to that.
“How do you know—” Her words die off in a gasp as she quickly rushes across the kitchen. “When did you find out?”
“Does it matter?”
Mom shakes her head. “No, it doesn’t. But please understand I wasn’t planning on getting her mixed up in this unless absolutely necessary. She’s just an innocent bystander in your father’s twisted lies.”
“Seems like we’re all liars.”How could she keep such a secret?“The real question is when did you find out?”
“It’s been a while.” Mom looks like she’s the one who’s about to puke now. “I thought staying with you father was the right choice. I did it for you and Ryder. Figured I could deal with him until the two of you were graduated and out of the house. I kept our family together because I thought it was for the best. I was wrong.”
“Yeah. Dead wrong. And Dad of the Year won’t be missed.” At all.
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