Page 48 of The Secrets She Keeps

"So? We played together. That makes them my Texas friends now." Leena looked at her. Like it actually worked like that, or something. “Why? Don't you like them?"

"Well. I don't know them. They are little kids. I don't hang out with little kids. I'm an adult. I'm too busy for kids."

"Oh. Do you have any friends?" The little girl just asked a million questions. Constantly. She never shut up. “Like a best friend and stuff?”

“I have friends."

"Who? Don't they come over sometimes? Cavi says that her mommy has lots of friends that come to their house for parties and stuff. They drink the stinky stuff and laugh a lot. Cavi doesn't like it when they do, so she hides. She has a place under the stairs like Harry Potter."

"Who?"

"Harry Potter." Leena looked at her like she was stupid for a moment. "Everybody knows Harry Potter, Bri. Everybody."

"Well, I don't. So not everybody."

"Nyma and Nyra like Harry Potter. And Maisy. Maisy doesn't have a daddy or a mommy now. They died. Her daddy was really sick and stuff and he died. And her mommy died in a car on Halloween. Maisy hates Halloween forever now. Nyra said."

Brianna recognized the kids Leena had played with. How could she not? Brianna had made a point to know everything she could about the Colesons. She didn't know the kids' names or anything. But she knew about those women.

Everything was all about the Colesons now. Everywhere.

It was stupid. "They are just a stupid family of poor women and kids. They aren't the type of people you should play with, young lady."

Brianna stopped. Right there where they were walking.

As sheheardher stepfather's meanest voice coming out of her own mouth.

No.

She didn’t want to eventhinklike that.

She didn’t want to be likehim.She just didn’t. Ever. He had been the meanest man she had ever known. How often had he told her the same thing whenever she'd wanted to play with kids at that same park they’d just left? And Banks had been right there, agreeing with his father like always.

Banks had never stood up for Brianna the way Bethany had.

Sometimes, all Brianna had wanted to do was play with all the other kids like Powell and Brandt had been allowed to. They were allowed to play witheverybody,no matter how little money the other kids’ families had. It would always look like so much fun.

Sometimes, her stepfather would make her leave and go home, just so she didn’t play with thewrongkind of people.

It had hurt back then. And been incredibly embarrassing. Until she’d eventually started to pretend she just didn’t care.

She had forgotten that.

But she was over that now. She really was.

"Why? They were nice. And their mommy—Nyra and Nyma's mommy. Not Maisy's. But Maisy lives with them now too. Since her old mommy is dead. Like my old mommy is dead too. Nyra and Nyma’s mommy gave me a Band-Aid for my hand. She put medicine on it too. And told me it would be okay. She's a doctor. Doctors are good people. I told her my daddy was a doctor too. But she didn't know him. I don't think."

"Did you tell her his name?" Brianna's blood actually chilled for a moment. If the Colesons...Timothy...It could be bad for him. For her half brother.

Really, really bad if the Colesons knew aboutTimothy.Or Trey. Timothy really didn’t want the Colesons to know about him.

Especially Trey. Trey was going to get into serious trouble someday. He’d probably get Timothy into trouble too. If he did, what would happen to Leena?

Brianna was the only family the kid had.

She didn't like Trey very much, but he was the only brother she had right now. And that mattered.

Well, this was her sister. She guessed Leena mattered too. And Trey was an adult, older than Brianna. Leena was just alittle kid. Leena really didn’t have anybody in the world but Timothy. Except Brianna.

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