Page 68 of The Lies We Tell

The distant hum of a vacuum caught her attention, and she moved to the door to press her ear against it. It didn’t sound like anyone was right outside the door. Most likely they were vacuuming the main hallway that led to the stairs. They’d been down here to clean her room and Matteo’s hours ago.

Still, to ease her fluttering mind, she checked to make sure the lock was securely in place. In all the time she’d been here, she didn't remember ever once locking the bedroom door. No one had ever barged into her room here, not like her father did back home, but would they find it odd if they asked to come in and she had to cross the room to open the lock?

Taking three big steps back from the door, she checked the clock again. Eleven fifty-nine. One more minute. Sixty seconds. A lifetime of hope and longing boiled down into a single phone call.

The shrill ring of her phone made her jump, drawing a surprised shriek from her throat before she dove for it, snatching it off the edge of the bed and holding it up to her face.

Not her father’s burner phone under the fake contact. A number she didn’t recognize. Her heart leapt into her throat, and blood pounded through her ears. This was it.

Swallowing hard, she accepted the call.

“Hello?”

“That was fast.”

She deflated a little at the sound of her father’s voice. “Where’s Mama?”

“Watch your tone, Tessa. I can take this gift away as easily as I can give it.”

“You said I could talk to her. She’s the only reason I’m doing any of this.”

“Yes, yes. I know. It took some convincing, but she finally agreed. Here.”

There was rustling over the line, maybe the scrape of a chair, the soft warble of voices. A crack and a pop.

“Hello?” a woman’s voice said softly.

Tessa held her breath until she was dizzy from it, letting it out in a slow hiss. “Mama?”

“Tessa, baby. How are you?”

“I’m good.” She squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears at bay. “How are you?”

“Oh, fine. Enjoying this weather we’re having.”

Her eyes popped open, gaze landing on the window and the rain sliding down the glass. “I miss you, Mama,” she whispered.

There was silence, more rustling. “I miss you too, baby. But I had to stay away. You were better off without me.”

“I wasn’t.” She shook her head, fingernails digging into her palm. “I needed you. I was just a girl.”

“You were practically a woman. And your father was able to give you everything I wasn’t.”

Tessa laughed, but it was an empty sound. “Are you safe? Are you happy?”

“Of course I’m happy, sweetheart. I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

Dropping onto the edge of the bed before her legs gave out, Tessa rubbed at the impossibly deep ache in her chest. This was not the reunion she’d been expecting.

“Are you satisfied now, Tessa? Your father went to a lot of trouble to arrange this conversation.”

“Yes. I’m satisfied.” She chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to decide if she should ask her next question. “Can I come see you?”

A pause and a scratching sound, like someone placed their hand over the receiver. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Tessa. Just let the past be and move on with your life. Be a good daughter to your father and do as he says.”

A tear slipped down Tessa’s cheek, and she flicked it away with the tip of her finger. “Okay. I have one more question.”

“What is it?” she asked, irritation edging her tone.

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