Page 99 of Between Now and Forever

“Listen, kid. This search isn’t costing me anything. If I get some matches, I’ll let you know. The kid may have died. There may be nothing there but a dead end. So, let me see what turns up before you worry about this.”

I have a brother. Maybe in Winsome. I want to find out more. But I’m not going to pay him to do it. I need to get away from the glare of the spotlight. And when I was in Winsome last, I felt at peace there. It’ll take some time to plan and figure things out here. But as soon as I can, I’ll go.

My stomach clenches when I think about facing Beth. I need to get her out of my system.

Once and for all.

20

CHOICES

ELISABETH

After Mr. Westfall,there was a war of escalation. The harder she tried to cow me the more I resisted.

Until the day she boarded up the windows of my room so that I was in the shadowless dark.

That’s when they started winning.

They’re going to keep me here forever. And it will be like I never existed.

Serene is right. I have to get out of here.

No matter what.

I ask the bodyguard stationed outside my door to tell my grandmother I want to speak to her.

I tell her that I’m ready to submit.

And I mean it.

Just not the way that she thinks I do.

She takes the boards off my windows.

The next day, I call home and tell my father that I’m ready to apologize and do what they want.

Now, I’m sitting across from Fiona. She’s heavily pregnant. But she’s as elegantly turned out as ever in her white St. John suit, her blonde hair swept up in a French twist.

Her pretty face is perfectly made up. And her cornflower blue eyes are full of skepticism as I finish my rehearsed apology.

“Your father isn’t quite ready to forgive you,” she says primly.

“I see,” I say and feign hurt when it’s annoyance I’m feeling.

“Are you really sorry, Liz?” she asks, but there’s no accusation in her voice, just curiosity.

I nod.

“Then I accept your apology.”

I sigh in relief.

“Can I come home, then?”

Her expression turns sad, and she shakes her head.

“Not until your father finds you a suitable match.”

---