He Thought I Had Nowhere to Go Until I Disappeared novel · Chapter 6 of 24

Chapter 6: At the Gate

I walked down the drive alone.

Nolan came out after me and stopped halfway, near the trout mailbox, where he could see everything.

Alana's eyes were swollen.

She had on yesterday's blouse, and her hands shook on the box.

"Keeley," she said. "Please. I need to say something."

"Say the first thing. Six months."

"Keeley..."

"Say it out loud, Alana. Say how long, and where."

She swallowed.

"Since April. At your house. In the kitchen, and the bedroom. In your bed."

"And my chair."

"Yes."

"Why my chair?"

"I don't know." Her voice cracked. "I sat down in it today because I wanted you to hate me, and I didn't know how else to do it."

I stared at her.

"That is the worst reason I've ever heard."

"I know."

"You wanted me to hate you."

"You did, didn't you?" Her chin trembled. "You've hated me for six years. I figured I might as well earn it."

The wind moved the dead leaves along the gravel.

"I have not hated you for six years," I said. "I was afraid of you. There's a difference."

"Afraid?"

"You stood up at my mother's funeral reception and told everyone I had stolen from Grandma."

Alana's face changed.

It didn't crumple.

It went blank.

"I never said that," she said.

"Corbin told me you did."

"When?"

"That night. On the bathroom floor."

She stepped toward me and then stopped herself.

"Keeley, I haven't said a word about money to anybody. I've never in my life said you stole anything." She took a breath. "Corbin told me you said I was a vulture. That I'd spent the funeral sizing up your mother's house. He said you told him you never wanted to hear my voice again."

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