Aubrey was sure her mother was never like Daisy. She was sure of it. The memories she had of her mother and father were beginning to fade a bit. She couldn’t remember the exact color of her mother’s eyes, or her father’s voice. But she remembered real warmth, real love. Daisy’s smiles and cookies and hugs, they just didn’t feel genuine.
“Hey, Joshie. Home early today. How was school?” Smile, smile, toothy crocodile smile, until she saw Aubrey lingering by the garage door, and the corners of her mouth turned down. “Oh. You brought her along.”
Josh lost his composure the minute the tone of his mother’s voice changed.
“You said he was dead.”
“Said who was dead, Josh?”
“My father!”
Aubrey was reminded of a rabbit she’d once seen caught in a trap. Daisy’s eyes went wild and wide; her mouth opened in shock. After a moment, she recovered and whispered in a harsh, nasty voice, “What did you just say?”
“Ed Hardsten. That’s my dad’s name, right?”
“Josh—”
“He’s not dead. He was in jail. For being hired to murder someone. But you knew that. You’ve been lying to me for years.” He gestured to Aubrey, who realized at once that handing over the incriminating paper was going to make it look like she was the culprit here. She cursed herself for not thinking of that sooner.
“Aubrey, give it.”
She took a deep breath and pulled the paper from her back pocket. Josh ripped it from her hand and unfolded it, practically threw it at Daisy. She glanced at the headline, then looked up, assuming the worst, as she always did.
“You little bitch. How dare you egg my son into looking for his father? Leave, now. You are not welcome in this house,” Daisy said to Aubrey.
“She had nothing to do with it, and she’s staying,” Josh proclaimed.
Daisy’s stare was malevolent; Aubrey started backing away.
“He just got out,” Josh said, poison in his voice.
Daisy broke the hateful gaze, looked at her son. “What?”
“You heard me. He isn’t dead. He’s been alive this whole time, and you’ve been keeping it from me. When were you planning to tell me the truth, Mother?”
It was too overwhelming. Aubrey felt tears well up in her eyes. She’d never heard hatred in Josh’s voice before. He and his mother were in some sort of glaring standoff, and she wasn’t exactly sure what was happening.
Daisy crumpled the paper into a little ball. “He’s dead to me,” she said. “He should be dead to you. After what he did. All the people he hurt. He was supposed to stay away from you, from us. It’s part of the agreement. How did you find out?”
“I’ve known this whole time that he was alive. He came to see me today.”
Daisy sucked in her breath. She and Josh circled each other like rabid dogs, staring, neither one saying anything. Aubrey hated this. She hated to see Josh in pain, and she hated Daisy for putting him through this. A little voice registered what he’d said. He’d known all along his father was alive.
He’d lied to her, and that stung. But the lie suddenly felt bigger, meaner, and she looked at Josh with new respect. This was important to him. Important enough to create a fiction for her sake. She should be angry, but instead, she was flooded with love.
Daisy finally stopped moving and turned to Aubrey, her voice ringing with authority. She pointed toward the door, enunciated every word.
“This is a family matter. You are not a part of this family. Leave now.”
This time, Josh didn’t argue with his mother, so Aubrey did the only thing she knew to do. She ran.
She didn’t see Josh again for a week, and when she did, he was reserved. Still sweet and loving, but there was a new shadow hiding behind his eyes. She hated to see it. He was supposed to be pure and clean; she was the one with the secrets and shadows.
Knowing his dad was the worst kind of criminal changed Josh. He vowed to never be that kind of person. He was so adamant about it that Aubrey felt kind of bad because Tyler was “that kind of person.” Tyler, who stole sweets from the Walgreens for her, who brought her water when she had nightmares. Who, at thirteen, had already spent a night in jail. Who was teaching Aubrey all his little tricks, how to palm a pack of gum, slide a magazine down the back of her pants, how to inhale on a cigarette.
Josh would be furious with her if he knew. She’d accepted that she’d have to deal with Josh’s straight-arrow ways, that it was part of loving him. The price of doing business. A price she was more than willing to pay. Josh didn’t need to know everything.
CHAPTER 23
Aubrey
Today
The sun broke through the windows, spilling onto their shoulders. They’d never made it off the couch, and Aubrey’s eyes opened to the happy pale blues of Winston standing nearby, tail wagging, ready to go out.
She tried to wriggle out from underneath Chase’s still sleeping form, but he had her pinned. No help for it, she’d have to wake him.
She shifted her arm, realized it was wedged between them, resting against his cock. Without opening his eyes, Chase gave a small groan and smiled. “Do that again.” She giggled, she downright giggled, and moved her hand gently.