Lie, Lie Again - Stacy Wise Page 0,133
the truth also.” She spoke calmly, hoping Lily would listen. “And I wanted to hate you too. I really did. It would be so much easier if I could hold on to the idea that Hugh was in a bad marriage with a crazy wife. But you were sweet and genuine. I couldn’t help but like you. When I left, you felt like an ally. Another victim of his lies.”
Lily slowly curled herself to a sitting position, tucking her knees to her chest. She met Sylvia’s gaze with red-rimmed eyes. “Why should I believe you?”
Sylvia folded her hands on the table and began calmly. “He led me to believe his name was Hugh Martin. We would meet at an apartment that I trusted was his. Turns out, it belongs to some guy named Sammy. When we saw you at the coffee shop, he told me you were an unstable ex and he had to pretend we were coworkers or you might come unhinged. And then he told me Hunter was a Pomeranian.” She eyed her carefully, knowing those last words had the power to sway Lily’s beliefs.
“What?” she spat. “He said our baby is a dog?” She leaped to her feet and gripped the back of the chair. For a second, Sylvia thought she might pick it up and chuck it across the room. Such a powerful move for little Lily.
“The things he has done sicken me.” Sylvia looked up, her eyes searching. “He’s a skilled liar. To be honest, the man terrifies me.”
“Well, he’s on his way here. Either that, or he’ll buy a one-way ticket to Mexico. I don’t even know him anymore.” Lily shook her head, a vacant look in her eyes. “What will I say to him? I don’t know if I want to kill him or beg him to fix things. Go to a good therapist.”
“Murder is never a good option, though I don’t know that counseling will work either. Once a cheater, always a cheater.” Sylvia met Lily’s eyes with her piercing blue stare, punctuating her point. With a hesitant shrug, she added, “But I’ve been wrong about people before. When confronted with the real threat of losing you, he may change, right?” She scrunched up her face apologetically.
“It’s getting dark outside. It looks like it might start to rain again,” Lily said in a hollow voice.
A chill ran through Sylvia. Lily seemed more fragile than ever, though not like she would crack, more like she would burst.
They sat in a cold silence and waited.
The trilling of a phone cut through the quiet, and Sylvia grabbed for her cell, spinning it toward her. “Hello?”
“It’s Embry. Something’s happened at Nadine’s. I just sent Riki there. Can you go too? I’m scared.”
“I’ll be right over.” She looked to Lily. “I need to help Embry. You should leave.”
“I need a minute.”
Sylvia studied her face for a moment but was met with a vacant stare. Part of her worried for Lily, but she had to go. If Jonathan was somehow awake and chatting with Embry, she needed to be there to perform damage control. “Fine. I’ll be just across the way if you need me. And if Hugh shows up, stay out of the kitchen.”
“Huh?”
“It’s where the knives are.” Sylvia left, letting her words hang in the air for Lily to grab on to.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Riki twisted her hands as she stood over Jonathan. He was facedown on the floor next to the bed. Embry had called her in a panic, describing a strange thumping noise she’d heard in the apartment above, and she’d begged her to take a look, since she couldn’t leave her kids unsupervised. Riki fished her phone from her pocket and called Embry back. “It was Jonathan,” she rushed to say as soon as Embry answered. “He must’ve fallen off the bed.” She lowered her voice as she looked at his body, splayed in an awkward position. “I’m scared, Em. He doesn’t look good. In fact, he looks really bad.”
“Like he’s sick? Or is he . . . ?”
Riki nodded, even though she knew Embry couldn’t see her. “Passed out? I don’t know.”
“Sylvia’s on her way. I should’ve just called 911 when I heard the noise,” she said, her voice shaky. “But what with her odd request to have me ask about Nadine . . . Oh, I just don’t know!”
Did Sylvia kill him? Riki willed herself to check for a pulse, but she couldn’t move. All she could do was stand there and stare.