Page 129 of Lovebug
I turn to Mom in time to see a tear slide down her cheek. “I’m sorry baby,” she says. “We had our reasons. Good reasons...”
“To lie to me? To—” At that moment I think my head might explode.Suddenly so much makes sense.“I found your passports,” I say shakily. “You’ve been lying to me—to everyone—about how old you are?”
“Honey—”
I cut her right off.“You pretended that I was your –? Oh my God, are you telling me you’re actually mygrandparents? Andshe’syour daughter? Why would you –? How could you –?”
“She was a teenager,” Dad bellows. “A pregnant teenager. It was shameful and it was going to ruin both of your lives if we didn’t step in. So we helped. We helped where we were needed.”
I gape at him. “By taking me from her and cutting her out of your life? Out ofmylife? By lying to me for twenty-four years? Did you know I have a cousin? Wait, no.” My thoughts are going a mile a minute and a realization hits me.
Something inside me cracks.
And I start laughing.
Hysterically.
“Hahahahaha! Chloe isn’t my cousin. She’s mysister. Hahahahaha! Ohmygosh! She said we look so much alike! Hahahaha! She said—oh man you have to hear this—she said redheads feel pain more acutely! Hahahahahaha! And… she wants to go to a redhead convention together someday! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahaha!”
They just stand there, staring at me. All three of them. Mom, Dad and Wally.
I gather my sanity—sort of—and move toward the door without a word.
I hear them take a collective breath like they’re each about to try to stop me in their own way.
“No one speak to me,” I warn. “And no one follow me.”
To their credit, no one does.
Against my better judgment, just before I leave the room, I turn my head to take it in one last time. I know instinctively that I won’t be back any time soon. Wally and I catch eyes. He slowly reaches out his strong arm and offers me his hand, but I don’t take it. Iwantto, but I don’t.
My brain knows he has absolutely nothing to do with this deception, but right now, my heart feels like it can’t trust anyone. Not a single person. They all lie. And apparently, it’s only a matter of time before you figure it out.
I feel sick to my stomach, but I do it.
I tear my eyes away from him, and I leave.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Duhn duhn. The telltale sound ofLaw & Ordervibrates through my skull. I’m sitting on the only chair in a stark white room at a raw wooden table, a single overhead light hanging directly above me. Ice-T approaches and leans his hands on the table, getting in my face. “Alright now Mabel, in just a moment you’re gonna see a lineup of characters, cats, punks and skunks. They’ve all played a crucial role in your life. Not literal cats and skunks, but you know what I’m sayin,’ yeah?”
“I do, Ice-T, I do,” I answer, somewhat in awe being in his presence. “Ice-T, sir, may I take this opportunity to tell you how much I love your work?”
“You may.” He stands up straight and purses his lips together in anticipation as though this happens to him all the time. I’m sure it does.
“Awesome. Well, I dislike the show intensely but admire your work immensely. I always say, ‘That Ice-T, he’s a national treasure.’”
“You’re not alone in that,” a warm female voice washes over me as a gentle hand touches my shoulder.
“Mariska Hargitay slash Olivia Benson?” I look up and breathe out in reverence.
“Hello, sweetheart,” she says. “I heard you named your vagina after me.”
“I did! Well, my friend did. And we named it Olivia, not Mariska. Are you mad?” I rattle off at warp speed.
“Mad? Honey, I’m honored.” Her hand is on her heart now, and there’s a sweet smile on her face. Then her voice goes loud and harsh. “Bring ’em in!”
With that, a string of people walk out in single file behind the glass and turn to face me. My mom, my dad, Tina, Chloe, Bert, Doreen, Cyndi, Calliope, Louise, Wally... they’re all there. As are Patrick Swayze, Val Kilmer, John Travolta and Bill Nye the Science Guy.
