Page 1 of Family Secrets

Chapter One

Elizabeth laid facing the wall in her garage-sale-find-bed, the digital clock on her bedside table read a few minutes after three in the morning. Her heart stalled, the sound of her front door creaking, shattering the silence of the night. Holding her breath, she waited for the tell-tale sign of who’d stumbled through the door, friend or foe.

Elizabeth released her breath when a loud thump, followed by a hissed oath, reached her ears. Covering her mouth with her hand in an effort to conceal her silent celebration of the pain inflicted as a result of her grandmother's rearranging the living room furniture. Elizabeth almost felt guilty for hoping Jonah, her boyfriend of far too long, had broken his toe this time. It would serve him right for trying to sneak in, knowing how often her grandmother changed the house around.

Gripping her pillow tight, she readied herself for his entrance, something after all the nights he’d stumbled into her room he should have perfected by now. But not Jonah Kelley, that boy should come with a warning label; brains not included or common sense unavailable.

Elizabeth’s body bounced as Jonah’s heavy form fell into bed beside her, the smell of cheap beer almost masked the stagnant cologne of his latest side girl. Karen Miller, whose perfume, a designer knock-off and three years past expiration, filled the small office she and Elizabeth shared every day.

Seconds later, Jonah’s obnoxious snores filled the room, putting an end to any hope of Elizabeth falling back to sleep. Feeling defeated, Elizabeth reached into her nightstand for her noise-canceling headphones, letting the sultry voice of her favorite singer drown out the lawnmower beside her.

Pain in the middle of her back, combined with the screeching sound of her alarm, pulled Elizabeth from the little sleep she was able to manage. The brief rest wasn’t long enough to produce a single dream, something she looked forward to every night. Pushing back the covers, she slid into her fluffy slippers, a birthday gift from her granny a few weeks ago. Standing to her full height, she reached for her robe at the foot of the bed, finding Jonah’s dirty work boots, the laces untied and his feet still inside holding the terry-cloth hostage. The manners her grandmother instilled in her would dictate she not disturb the sleeping man, but her lack of sleep combined with his continued disrespect, those guidelines were forgotten as she shoved his feet to the side. A grunt sounded from his sprawled-out body taking up over half the bed and the reason behind her aching back.

Shuffling her feet down the hall, she dropped her tired body into the worn cushions of the couch, retrieving her laptop from its new hiding place. The second-hand piece of equipment was the most expensive item she owned, something she’d snatched up at the end of last semester when her community college purchased new computers. She wished she could upgrade her cellphone as easily, but money was tight and if she wanted to take classes when school resumed, she would need every penny in her savings for tuition.

Typing her password, her heart soared at the familiar ding of a waiting Facebook message. Even without looking, Elizabeth knew it’s from her friend Mona Lisa, or Lisa as she’d asked Elizabeth to call her, and would save it for later, giving her something to look forward to in her projected dismal day. As she scrolled through the list of her friend’s posts, she allowed herself to pretend she’s a part of their lives, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and new babies. While her life is far from boring, she wouldn’t mind having something worthwhile to celebrate and share with her handful of friends.

Opening the app for her email, she scanned the list of advertisements for everything from fifty percent off storewide clearance to penile implants available near her. Shaking her head, she considered forwarding the latter to Jonah; Lord knows he could use some help in that department.

A noise from the hall forced her to close the lid and store her computer back in its hiding place. No one, not even her granny, knew of the purchase she’d made. If Jonah found out, he would demand to see it, tinkering around with it until it didn’t work anymore. He was one of those people who knew everything about nothing, believing there was nothing he couldn’t do or invent. His parent's front yard was littered with his brilliant ideas and money-making scams, piles and piles of someone else’s fault as to why his idea didn’t work. Elizabeth recalled the last time he’d gotten ahold of her computer, how her heart sank as she watched it bounce off the kitchen wall, landing with a broken screen and keys flying in a million directions when he got angry at a game he was playing. She would have killed him, had she not kept all of her files on a thumb-drive, including the term paper she needed to print and turn in the next morning. He’d sworn to replace it, but just like his promise she was the only girl for him, he’d lied.

“Why isn’t there any coffee made?” Jonah’s husky voice, thick with sleep, which used to ignite something primal deep inside Elizabeth. Now it grated on her nerves.

“I don’t drink it.” Elizabeth shot back, her lack of sleep sharpening her tongue.

“Who the fuck doesn’t drink coffee in the morning?” He argued, his voice raised much too high for the early hour.

“Watch your mouth, Jonah. You wake up my granny and you’ll have more issues than lack of caffeine.” Elizabeth hissed, chancing a glance toward the closed bedroom door.

“Birdie loves me,” he boasted, shoving a handful of dry cereal into his mouth, several pieces dropping to the floor, another mess she would have to clean. Jonah was right, like most of the women in this dinky town, her granny, Birdie Campbell loved him. Ironically, it was the single reason Elizabeth hadn’t dumped his ass.

“I have to get ready for work,” Elizabeth stood from the couch, ignoring Jonah’s grumbling about the lack of decent food in this house. He was right again, most of the food in their pantry was off brand or on sale. Money was tight, always had been, but between granny’s social security and her job at the County Co-op, they managed to keep the lights on.

Twenty minutes and a hurried shower later, Elizabeth rounded the corner to find her granny and Jonah sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee and an empty plate in front of him.

“Aren’t you going to be late for work?” She deadpanned, not caring to know the answer.

“I need gas money.” Jonah demanded wiping his face, then tossing a crumpled-up napkin onto the table.

“Then I suggest you get to work.”

Elizabeth wasn’t about to give him another cent, having not been paid back for the last chunk of money he’d conned off her. She’d watched enough episodes of those reality court shows to know not to loan more money when he’d failed to pay her back. She knew how much money Jonah made, she sent the deposit to his bank every other Wednesday after her boss approved it. It wasn’t his lack of earning, but his inability to budget.

Jonah shoved his chair back with such force it put a dent in the drywall. “Now see,” pointing an angry finger in her direction. “You wouldn’t be such a bitch if you drank coffee.”

Anger burned hot in her belly as her granny cringed from Jonah’s raised voice. “And you wouldn’t smell like the perfume counter at Rite Aid if you didn’t spend half the night screwing around with Karen Miller.”

Elizabeth moved with purpose and determination in her step as she pulled open the front door, swinging her free arm in invitation for Jonah to leave, shooting him a raised eyebrow when he failed to move.

“No man likes a smart-mouthed woman, Lizzie.” Jonah started, picking up his cup of coffee and stepping around the table. “I blame those snooty bitches over at that college you go to.” He tossed at Elizabeth as he passed by her. Elizabeth ignored his jab about her education as Jonah took every opportunity to make her feel bad about wanting more. The joke was on him, as his cruelty had the opposite effect, fueling her desire and making her work harder.

“Birdie, thank you for the breakfast, though the eggs were a little runny,” Jonah began his back-handed compliment, but Elizabeth slammed the door in his face, silencing any further foulness he had for the sweet old lady who’d raised her.

Opening the refrigerator, Elizabeth removed the container of leftover casserole from last night's dinner, shoving it, along with some utensils into a grocery bag. She heard the shuffle of Granny’s feet against the linoleum behind her, the elderly woman needing a hip replacement for years.

“You have such pretty hair, just like your momma’s.” Birdie stood behind the little girl who’d blossomed into a beautiful woman, “Same sharp tongue too. She had some colorful words when she brought you into this world.”

Turning, Elizabeth took her grandmother’s face between her palms, staring deep into the sadness that clouded her blue eyes. She knew how much it upset her grandmother to speak of her mother, the agony of losing a child something no mother should have to endure.

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