Page 62 of A Duet of Darkness and Dreams

John holds up his hands. “You know the line cook who sells weed? Danny? He told me yesterday.”

“But—” I don’t have a response. What the fuck is happening right now? Is this true? Has all of this really been happening right under my nose and I’ve been too caught up in my own dreams to notice?

Sam reenters the garage looking frazzled. “I can’t find that cash anywhere. What the hell could’ve happened to it?”

John and Charlie look at me as if to say,You know where it went.You have to be the one to tell him. But how can I, when I don’t even want to believe it myself?

“Do you think the studio will let us postpone so we don’t lose the deposit?” Sam asks hopefully.

I shrug, still desperate to believe that John and Charlie are wrong. “I can call them and ask, I guess.”

Another delay. Another setback. Another thing to deal with. Why does this keep happening? It’s like every step I take forward, I end up three steps back. And Emily . . . I fucking love this girl with all of my heart. Could she really lie right to my face? Could she really steal money from her cousin?

“Dave, you okay?” Sam asks.

I shake my head. “Yeah, sorry. Let’s get back to practice and we can sort the money issue out later.”

But all through practice I’m distracted. Off time and off beat. Thankfully, John and Charlie don’t mention it—they know why. Maybe if I’m lucky, I can pick up some extra shifts at the lumber yard in the evenings to make up for the missing money.

By the time the sun has set and all of us are sweating and exhausted, my stomach gets more and more twisted as I think about what’s going on with Emily. When she finally walks up the driveway, I can’t help but want to throw up when I notice the way she stumbles and walks on an angle. Is she drunk?

“Hey, guys,” she says with a cheerful voice.

“Hey, Em,” John and Charlie reply, giving me a loaded look.

She walks up to me, wraps her arms around my neck, and kisses me on the lips. She tastes like mouthwash, but there’s a familiar scent that lies buried underneath.

“How—how was work?” I ask, pulling away. I wonder if she can see it on my face. That I know something’s going on.

She rolls her eyes and sighs dramatically. “Ugh, same old, same old. The fryer broke down, so that was a nightmare. I’m going to go have a shower and change.”

I look away. “Yeah. Okay.”

“I missed you,” she whispers, brushing another kiss to my lips.

Grasping her face with my hands, I stare into her eyes. Eyes that used to sparkle but now are glazed over and dull. “Em?”

“Yeah, baby?”

Ask her. Justaskher. Did you get fired? Did you steal Sam’s money? Are you so drunk right now that you can’t even walk a straight line? “I love you.”

She smiles and giggles, kissing me again only to disappear into the house. Shame crawls over my skin. I couldn’t do it. Ican’t believe it. I love her, but if everything else is true it might mean she doesn’t really love me back. Maybe she’s just been using me. Maybe everything has been a lie.

That’s the funny thing about a lie, I guess. All it takes isoneto question all of someone’s truths.

CHAPTER 19

Hard Habit to Break

ISABELLA

There’s a pounding on my bedroom door. An incessantbang,bang,bangthat wakes me from a colorful dream of music and flashing lights, palm trees and stormy blue eyes.

Bang, bang, bang.

“Mmhfm,” I groan, attempting to open my eyes, but everything feels so heavy. Finally, I manage to, and an unfamiliar room is revealed. Wood paneling and a buzzing light in the bathroom and a scratchy bedspread under my cheek. Then I realize that the pounding isn’t on the door, it’s in my head. Stretching out my limbs, my hand lands on something soft and hard at the same time. Sitting upright in bed, I look down to find Dave sleeping peacefully at my side.

Oh no.

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