Page 42 of Sharp Lies

“I’m worried,” I told her breathlessly once I stopped laughing. I gave my skirt another jerk that sent her rolling backward, finally got my skirt out, and stood up. “I don’t like that someone attacked my bus, and I don’t like what it might mean. I hate that I’m still scared of Tony McCarthy.”

My mom’s hand reached out and grabbed my wrist, her eyes full of sympathy. “You’d be stupid if you weren’t, Lily, and I didn’t raise a stupid daughter. But you’re not alone this time.”

I almost started crying right then and there. I hadn’t realized how alone I felt until she actually said something about it. “This is my problem, though. And I don’t want you to worry.”

She pulled me right down into her lap and wrapped her arms around me, forcing my head down on her shoulder like I was still a little girl who actually fit on her lap. “You’re my daughter. It’s my job to worry about you. Stop trying to take it away from me.”

I felt the tears well up in my eyes before I could stop them, and a moment later, I was crying softly against her, all the tension of the night coming to the surface and leaking right out of my eyes. “It just seems so stupid to still be scared of him,” I snuffled.

She sat me up and stared at me, wiping the tears from my cheeks. “Lil, he brought an axe into our driveway and attacked your van. I’m pretty sure ‘scared’ is the logical reaction to that. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to let him win, does it? It doesn’t mean he’s any better or any tougher than you. It just means he happened to have an axe handy when he got mad.”

I chuckled, despite myself. “He seems a lot tougher than me.”

She leaned forward and bumped my forehead with hers. “But you’re not the only one on this side of the line,” she murmured. “And if you think he’s any tougher than Warren, you’re not paying attention.”

I cocked my head at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you have someone a whole lot tougher on your team than Tony McCarthy, and unless I’m wrong, that someone is willing to walk to the ends of the earth for you. So I wouldn’t worry about how tough Tony is or isn’t. I’d worry about how long it’s going to be until you unleash Warren on him.”

I felt the smile growing on my lips at that—partially because of her metaphor and partially because of the inference about Warren’s feelings for me—but snapped up straight when the knock came at the door again.

“I completely forgot there was someone there!” I said, jumping up.

“Make sure you look to see who it is before you open it!” my mother shouted as I ran out of the kitchen.

I immediately slowed to a walk, realizing that she was right. I’d already opened this door to find Tony McCarthy on the other side once. This time, I was going to be more careful.

When I got to the door, I did in fact recognize the face on the other side.

But it wasn’t Tony McCarthy.

“Madison?” I gasped, opening the door to a freckled redhead that I’d known since we were ten. “What are you doing here? Are you here for me or my mom?”

She flew into my open arms. “Why the hell would I be here for your mother?” she asked, giggling. “No offense, Diane!” she called out. “It’s just that I’m not here for you!”

“None taken!” my mom shouted from the kitchen. “But get in here! It’s been too long since I’ve seen you, and my chair gets stuck in the doorway into the hall!”

Madison stepped back and looked at me, still grinning, and I looked the girl over. I hadn’t seen her since we’d graduated, but she didn’t look any different. Red hair and a pert nose covered in freckles. Broad cheekbones that somehow always made it look like she was about to start laughing. And she was smiling right now.

But I could see a haunted look in her eyes that made me think that smile didn’t go as deep as she would have liked. She’d seen something that had frightened her and left a mark.

“Are you okay?” I asked quietly.

The smile died so quickly that it might never have been there in the first place. “I’m okay now. But I heard you were back in town, and I know what happened before you left. And I need to talk to you.”

“Right,” I breathed. “Come into the kitchen.”

I took her hand and led her to where my mom was still sitting, and then watched as she fussed over my mother and asked her again and again how she was feeling. My mother, of course, hadn’t missed the bruised look in her eyes either, and before long, she was telling Madison firmly to sit down.

“Do you want some coffee?”

“Oh I can’t ask you to get me coffee,” Madison chirped.

“Don’t be silly,” my mom laughed. “I’m not getting it for you. Lily is.”

Madison turned a look on me. “In that case, I’ll take it with cream and brown sugar, if you please.”

I laughed and walked over to get her coffee, keeping one ear on her conversation with my mother. She was still working at the bar, she said, just like she had been since the day after graduation. She didn’t have much money but had a comfortable trailer in the park on the edge of town, as well as a roommate and two dogs. She sounded happy enough.