Page 53 of Betrayed

“Uh-huh.”Annabellenods. “Ofcourse, nobody believes it,” she adds, obviously trying to comfort me. “Imean, that would be disgusting.Unlessyouknewhe wasn’t your brother?”

“I didn’t know,”Isay dully. “AndCharlesis being an asshole.”

Which is all true, andI’mhoping thatI’vegiven her the impression thatCharlesis lying without actually saying it, and lying myself.God, this is so convoluted!I’mjust not a good liar—Ican’t keep up a lie for very long beforeIwind up telling the truth.AndIreally don’t want the truth getting out in this case.

“Of course he is.”Annabellesqueezes my arm. “Ijust hate that he’s spreading this nasty rumor all around town on you.”

I hate it too.BecauseIknow if he says it enough, people are going to start believing it.I’velived inSingingRockall my life, but it might be time to think of moving.WherecanIgo, though?

I start to seriously consider that question in the next few days, becauseInotice people looking at me funny and sometimes whispering to each other afterIleave their table.Charlesis spreading the news—little by little my reputation is being ruined and that really matters when you live in a small town.

As if all those troubles and worries aren’t enough, my body starts acting up too.Mybreasts, which have been feeling heavy and tender for days suddenly start leaking this weird, amber liquid.It’sthick and sticky, almost like honey, and whenItaste some on the tip of my finger, it’s sweet.

What theHellis happening to me?

At least my breasts only leak a little at first soIcan cover it up by putting some tissues in my bra.Butthe problem seems to be getting worse, instead of better.Mybreasts feel heavy and swollen and my nipples are unbearably tender.ShouldImake an appointment with the doctor?ButIdon’t have one.Cookiedoesn’t make enough with the diner to pay for us to have insurance andI’vealways been healthy up until now, soIdon’t know what to do.

As if all that isn’t enough,Istart having strange dreams at night—sexdreams.Almostall of them feature a man in a black mask—someone who seems familiar butI’msureI’venever seen him before.Inmy dreams, he does all kinds of things to me.Thingsthat make me moan and beg for more.

I wake up all hot and bothered, feeling empty inside, between my thighs.I’venever experienced anything like this—Idon’t know if it has anything to do with the breast thing or not.

I try looking it up on the internet, butIcan’t find anything about breasts leaking sweet amber liquid and apparently the only people who have sex dreams are adolescent boys.Noneof it makes sense.

It feels like my whole life is spinning out of control andIcan’t do anything to stop it.

About the fourth day afterFakeKaneleft,Sam, the new dishwasher, comes into the ladies room just asI’mchanging the tissuesIput in my bra to soak up the amber liquid my nipples are leaking.

Quickly,Ifinish stuffing the new tissues into my bra.ThenIcrumple the used tissues and throw them in the trash butIcan tell she saw some of whatIwas doing.

“Hey, you all right?” she asks casually, coming up to the sink beside me.

“Fine,”Isay shortly. “Justfine.”

“Okay, great.Uh…there’s someone here who says he wants to talk to you,” she says.

“What?”Myheart starts pounding.Couldit beFakeKane?Didhe come back to me?Ofcourse,Iwon’t have anything to do with him but just the idea that he might be here makes my heart flutter.

“He says he’s your brother,”Samsays and shrugs. “Idon’t know though—the two of you have the same hair and eye color but he’s huge and you’re tiny.So…”Sheshrugs again.

I feel my stomach drop.Thatcan’t beFakeKane, then.

“I’d better go see who it is,”Isay, trying to sound like its no big deal.

“I sat him in your section—hope that’s okay,”Samsays.She’spulling out her cell phone, clearly about to make a call.

“Yeah, sure.Thanks.”

I hurry out of the ladies room and around the corner.Istop dead in my tracks whenIsee him.

Sitting right there at table three is a huge mountain of a man.He’sas big asFakeKanewas but even beefier.Hishead is shaved bald but he has a thick, bushy black beard and mustache and when he looks up, his eyes are the same light amber mine are.He’swearing a white muscle shirt that shows hairy arms and shoulders—ugh.

But his excess body hair isn’t what has me staring.Thisis the same man in the picture thatCharlesshowed me on the night he exposedFakeKane.Thisis therealKane—my real big brother and he’s sitting right here in my section of the diner.

I have absolutely no idea what to say to him.

33

SUNNY

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