Page 8 of One Little Lie
He missteps, and I wonder if it’s the use of his formal name that causes his pause. East stares between Lexi and me, concern suddenly appearing on his face, but Lexi shoos him to keep moving. She walks me to the front seat and pushes me inside while she climbs in the back with Hatty.
“Halton, I have a feeling you’re going to want to keep your mouth shut. Do you hear me?” she orders just as Easton climbs in the driver’s seat.
“Locket, you’d better start explaining this shit right now.”
“Whatever, East. Just get us home. We need to dunk Halton in a cold shower and put him to bed.”
“I miss our hammock,” Hatty slurs, and there goes that goddamn gasp of mine again.
Lexi reaches around the seat and places a gentle squeeze of support on my shoulder. I’m so grateful, tears prick the corners of my eyes.
What the hell is he talking about?Why is he saying this stuff?I mean nothing to him. He made that very clear a long time ago. I just need to get him to let go of his guilt now so he can let me go, too.
Hatty grunts, and I would bet money that Lexi just elbowed him. I know instantly Colton was right about her. She pretends to be a hard ass, but she’s got the heart of a Westbrook.
Chapter 4
Halton
Halton, eleven years old.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hey, handsome. What are you doing down here?” she asks, pulling the laundry out of the dryer.
“Nothin’. I’m going outside for a while.” I sound sulky, but I’m not unhappy. It’s confusing.
“It’s hard being in the middle sometimes, huh?”
I shrug my shoulders because she hit the nail on the head. Preston and East just left to do whatever teenagers do. Colton is lost in his ‘epic game of Madden’ on the X-box, and Ashton is tearing apart a computer in the library with Loki.
I just don’t fit in. I tuck my notebook and pencils tighter under my arm.
“You know,” my mom continues with a funny lilt to her voice, “I’m pretty sure I saw Rylan head out to the garden earlier.”
My gaze snaps to hers as soon as I hear Rylan’s name, but I try to play it cool. She’s Colton’s friend, after all. It’s only the first day of summer vacation, and already things are looking up.
“Is she staying with us all summer again?” I try to keep the hopefulness out of my voice, but my mom smiles.
“All summer,” she sings. “Mona or Thomas will pick her up at the end of the day, depending on who finishes work first.”
My heart rate speeds up like it always does when Rylan is near.
“Cool. Do we have any of the ah …”
“Cookies?” she finishes with a smile.
My hands get clammy, and I nod. Rylan loves cookies.
“I put a few in the cooler bag by the door with some drinks.” Smiling, she nods toward the back door.
“Thanks,” I mumble, feeling strange, and I walk outside. As soon as it shuts behind me, I take off running. I know exactly where to find her.
“Give me a word, Hatty?” she calls over her shoulder before I’m even close enough for her to have heard me.
“How do you do that?” I shout.
She shrugs her shoulders as I get closer. “I don’t know. I just feel you, I guess.”
