The Lies She Told (Carly Moore #5) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,99
come out.
“Carly,” he said, turning toward me. “Do you know I’ve never once seen you cry over this mess? Sure, a few tears here and there, but no bare-your-soul sobbing.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I think you’re due a good cry, Care. It doesn’t mean you’re weak.” He gave me a wry smile. “If this was happening to me, I would have been bawling before we left the parking garage.”
I released a laugh and promptly choked on another sob.
He gave me a soft kiss. “Come on. Let’s go out to the car, and I’ll come back in for our order.”
I waited at the table while he explained the situation to the waitress, and then he stuffed his laptop into the bag and led me out the front door. As soon as we reached Marco’s Explorer, the dam burst loose.
Standing next to the still-closed passenger door, Marco pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around my back. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
I sobbed into his shoulder, deep, gut-wrenching sobs, as all the pain and heartache of the past year gushed out in an ugly mess. I wasn’t sure how long I cried, I only knew I was safe because Marco was there, absorbing my pain.
When I finally settled down, he wiped my cheek with his hand, staring at me with so much love it took my breath away. “You said he left you alone, but you don’t have to do this alone anymore. I’m in this with you now, and I’m not leavin’, okay?”
“I love you,” I said, feeling like the words weren’t enough to tell him how I felt.
He smiled. “I love you too. I’m gonna go check on our lunch.”
But he didn’t leave until I was settled comfortably into the front seat. He came back out a few minutes later, carrying a bag. I reached over the driver’s seat to pop open the rear hatch and got out of the car.
He met me next to my door, giving me a questioning look. I took his hand and led him to the back, then sat down with my legs hanging over the bumper.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“It beats sitting in the front seat.”
He gave me an apologetic grin. “I guess we tend not to eat in restaurants.”
“This time it was my fault.”
He handed me a to-go container before sitting down next to me. “I think we should focus on you, Care, and let this Louise issue rest right now. It worries me that Tiffany knows so much. If your father contacts her again, there’s a chance she might give something away. Even if she doesn’t intend to.”
“Agreed,” I said, opening the lid of my container. “But that’s not to say we should take off. We have at least a few days to decide what to do.” I took a bite of my turkey sandwich, and even though it was probably fine, it tasted like dust at that moment. “It would look pretty suspicious if we just left, you know. Especially since neither one of us has been talking about leaving. Besides, you’re a deputy sheriff, Marco. They might think you did something wrong and start digging.”
It hit me that everything Wyatt had warned me about was true, and part of me hated him for it.
“Okay. Then we need to keep you safe until we can leave,” he said. He’d opened the lid to his burger and fries but hadn’t taken a bite. “I’m gonna talk to Hank about moving you back in with him. I can’t be home all the time, and there’s no one else in Drum that I’d trust more to protect you.”
“So that’s our plan? Just hole up and hide?” I said, something rebellious in me starting to rise.
“Until we can work out an exit strategy.”
“What then? You were right earlier. I’m tired of running, Marco. I’d rather fight my father from somewhere I know. Where we have people watching our backs.” I shoved my sandwich away. “Facing Tiffany scared the crap out of me. I felt like scared, weak Caroline Blakely again, not Carly Moore. It was like every bit of strength I’ve gained over the last ten months had vanished.”
“Not at the end,” he said. “You were strong at the end.”
“But I had to work up to it.”
He gave me an encouraging smile. “But at least you found it. Consider that a win.”
I wasn’t so sure. “If I face my father as Caroline, I’ll never survive. I can only