Page 47 of Unsaid Things

Megan sniffed and nodded. “Yeah. Earlier this week, actually. I told her about my show. She was interested and seemed happy for me until I told her the subject matter. She wasn’t thrilled about the nearly nude models posing for me.” She shrugged. “Whatever. I told her I’d let her know when the show is. I don’t know if she’ll come. Even if the paintings are almost all so zoomed in as to be abstract. The focus isn’t on the bodies, it’s on the colors. Only the titles will give clues as to what they are. But that’s not the point, as far as she’s concerned. It’s still naked people according to my mom. Naked boys and girls together who aren’t married, and that’s wrong.” Another jerky shrug, and she looked up, straightening her shoulders and shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter.” She smiled, a forced, tremulous smile that Abby saw for what it was—a change of subject from the painful one she’d inadvertently opened. “Enough about that. We’re supposed to be having fun. It’s your birthday! Are you doing anything else exciting this weekend? Did you do anything yesterday? I remember Lance saying something about making a whole weekend of it.”

Grateful for the change of subject, Abby sat back down in her chair. “Yeah, I’m not sure what he has planned for tomorrow, but he took me out to dinner last night, and we’ve been lazing around all day today. It’s been great. Especially after yesterday afternoon.”

“Oh?” Megan gave her a curious look from where she’d resumed rinsing the last of the dishes in the sink. “What do you mean? What happened yesterday?”

Crap. She hadn’t really intended to bring up her brother. Not tonight, anyway. Apparently drinking wine made her internal filters malfunction. And she’d only had a couple of glasses. Man, she was a lightweight. With a sigh, she went to the sink and stood next to Megan, keeping her voice low while she told her about her brother’s visit to the foreign language department. Megan’s eyes grew wider, the last plate in her hands ignored while Abby told her everything, including how she’d lied to Lance about what her brother needed money for.

“Abby! Why did you lie to Lance?” At least Megan kept her voice in the range of a whisper yell.

With another sigh, Abby shrugged. “I just couldn’t bring myself to tell him. It’s too awful and embarrassing.”

“You told me.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been there for all of it. You’ve known all my secrets for years. With Lance, it’s still new, and I don’t know how he’d react. But I have to do something. He’s my brother. I’d never forgive myself if he got hurt—or worse—because I didn’t help him.”

Megan looked thoughtful while she placed the last plate in the dishwasher. Then she shook her head as she pushed the racks in, placed a tablet in the little door, closed and started it, the sound of the dishwasher now covering their conversation instead of the running water. “You have to tell Lance the truth, Abs. He deserves to know what’s going on. I’m sure he’d understand. He has sisters. I doubt—no, I know he wouldn’t let someone hurt them if he could do something about it.”

Abby felt sick at the thought of telling Lance the truth, both about confessing her lie and telling him what she lied about. Hell, she felt sick just thinking about Aaron and why he needed the money.

Megan’s sincere brown eyes bored into hers, her hands clutching Abby’s arms. “This isn’t like keeping a surprise party a secret. Or fibbing about your weight. This is serious. He’ll be hurt when he finds out you lied, but he’ll get over it faster if you tell him soon. The longer this goes, the worse it’ll be. Tell him. If not tonight, then tomorrow. Soon. Okay? Promise me.”

Abby stared back at Megan, her stomach twisting. She wanted to tug at her lower lip, but Megan’s grip on her forearms prevented her. She didn’t want to promise. She didn’t want to tell Lance the truth. Ever. “I don’t think he’ll ever know. Why do I need to tell him?”

Megan sighed, disappointed. “Abby, it’ll end up coming out eventually. Especially with Aaron popping up all over the place. You need to—” Megan abruptly stopped talking and let go of Abby’s arms.

“Hey babe, almost done in here? It’s getting late. I’m wiped from today’s workout, and Lance wants to take the birthday girl home, if you know what I mean.” Chris came in and kissed Megan on the cheek, winking at Abby when he said the last part.

She blushed, and Megan smacked him on the arm. Then Lance was beside her, turning her face to his for a brief kiss. “Ready to go home, sweetheart?”

“Sure.”

Chris and Megan followed them into the living room where she and Lance put on their coats and gathered up her presents. When Abby hugged Megan goodbye, Megan hissed, “Tell him!” in her ear.

Abby pretended not to hear. She didn’t want to tell him. Lance would be hurt if she told him she’d lied. All the more reason for him to never find out. She’d give her brother the money. He would leave. No one would ever have to know what really happened. That was the best plan, and she was sticking to it.

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