Because every psychopath’s biggest mistake is thinking they’re so much smarter than everyone else.
Forty-Three
I’m showered and dressed by the time Valencia gets down to the kitchen the following morning.
“Oh, good, you ready to go?” she asks, putting her empty coffee mug in the sink.
Easton isn’t far behind her, and he watches me suspiciously over her shoulder as I say yes. I’m absolutely ready to get out of this house and away from him.
“Where are you going?” he asks.
“Gramma Sharon’s.”
“Why do you want to hang out with her all day?” Easton asks. He tries to keep his tone teasing, brotherly, but underneath I know he’s digging for information.
So I use the teasing brotherly tone right back at him. “Better than hanging around here doing nothing.” I turn my attention back to Valencia. “And I feel bad for her being by herself all day.”
“Well, you have fun with that,” Easton says, heading toward the kitchen doorway. “I’m going out for a run.” Once the front door opens and closes, I tell Valencia I have to grab something upstairs.
“Okay, but be quick, I have to get on the road,” she calls after me. Marcus is coming down the left-side stairs while I’m heading up the right. I say good morning to him and he mumbles it back.
When I get to my room, I take out the duffel bag in the closet and set it on top of the dresser. I take out the clothes and put them in the drawers. What Miles and I are planning today feels final. Whatever happens, by the end of the day, the Beaumonts are going to know the truth.
But it probably won’t come from me. If anything, it’s going to come from Agent Grant or the police. They’ll know I’m not the real Nate. And they’ll know Easton is the one who killed him.
But I want Marcus and Valencia to know at least one true thing from me.
When I get down to the kitchen, duffel bag in hand, I walk over to the pantry and take out the food I had been hoarding for my escape. I put it all back, one thing at a time. I can feel Marcus’s and Valencia’s eyes on me, but neither of them speaks.
When the food is back, I turn to them and hold up the empty duffel bag.
“I wanted you to know I don’t need this anymore.”
Valencia is the one who asks, “Why?”
“Because I don’t need to run.” Wait, that’s not true. And I said I wanted to tell them something true. So I change it. “I mean, I don’twantto run. This place feels more like a home than... anywhere else I can remember. And I love you.” Hell, even Marcus, now that I know Easton alone is responsible for Nate’s death.
Valencia walks around the island with tears in her eyes and pulls me into a hug. I know it’s weird to have all these conflicting feelings, but I don’t care anymore. Valencia and Marcus aren’t bad parents; not like mine. Which was probably how I was so blind to Easton’s psychotic nature. I trusted him instead of his parents. But raising abad person doesn’t makethembad. If anything, they were victims in this, too. And if Miles and I are successful today, they’re going to find that out and lose another child. Then they’ll only have each other left.
I want them to know, even when they find out I’m not Nate, that I appreciated them. I also want Gramma Sharon to know that.
When Valencia lets me go, even Marcus hugs me.
“I’m taking Nate to my mom’s for the day; could you pick him up on your way home? I have appointments until six.”
Marcus says he will, and Valencia and I leave.
After taking me to Gramma Sharon’s, Valencia comes in quickly to say hi to her and bye to me. Then she gives us both kisses on the cheek and leaves. When she’s gone, Gramma Sharon breaks out the deck of cards.
She doesn’t speak to me, and I know how much her mouth hurts right now, but she still tries to give me a smile.
My phone vibrates with a text from Miles.
On my way. ETA five minutes.
I have five minutes to say what should probably take closer to a few hours. But we don’t have a few hours. And I can’t wait any longer for her to be able to speak.
So I put my hand out and stop Gramma Sharon from shuffling the cards.
