Page 78 of The Girl He Loves
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I’m cleaningup after dinner. The boys love my roast beef but it’s such a huge job to tidy up after; the saucepans for the gravy and potatoes, the roasting pan, the greasy muffin tin for the Yorkshire, and the usual dishes — it’s a big job. Brian often helps out cleaning the kitchen but he has exams to mark — June is crazy busy for him.
I’m thankful for the distraction when my phone pings — I recognize this particular sound as my Messenger app. I wonder who it could be. I know it’s wrong but a small part of me always hopes it’s Joel. I’m shocked when I see a message from Ava. I thought I’d never hear from her again, and here she is.
Hello, Mischa. I just sent you a friend request. Sorry, I was rude today.
I flick the kitchen towel over my arm, and accept her friend request. I reply to her message right away, my fingers feverishly tapping away.
No worries. I understand. How did you find me?
To my delight, she replies instantly.
You’re a friend of my dad’s. I saw your profile pic in my suggested friends list.
Well, it’s nice to chat with you again,I reply.
We chit-chat for a while. She tells me all about the vet tech program she’s interested in. We both adore cats, as it turns out. I tell her all about my messy kitchen, about the dirty dishes on the counter waiting for me. She asks about my husband and boys. I tell her the basics without revealing too much. She tells me about her little sister. They seem to have a good relationship. She talks about her dad. They clearly adore each other. She doesn’t say much about her mom. She and I click so fast, it’s a little unsettling.
My mother is cheating on my dad.
The words shock me. We’d just been chatting about her mom’s store, and here they are, tucked in a word bubble, smack in the middle of my phone screen.
What makes you think that?I ask.
I saw text conversations on her phone, she writes.
The text bubbles dance, and I’m brimming with curiosityHurry, hurry.I want to know more. She’s writing me a small novel, and I can’t wait to read it.
She doesn’t realize that I know her phone password. I sneak a peek all the time. She and this Grant guy really have the hots for each other. They are filthy too. You should see stuff he writes to her, like he wants to eat out her ass and stick his cock in her ass, and lick her ass. He really loves my mom’s ass. And she loves every word. I can tell… the way she replies to his dirty words. I never thought she was like that.
My jaw is on the floor. I can’t believe what I’m reading. Children should never see that kind of thing. I know Ava is eighteen now, but still.
How long have you been reading your mother’s texts?
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About a year. Are you gonna tell? I should have never told you.
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No, I promise I won’t tell,I’m quick to type.
What is said between you and I is private. We’re friends now.
I’m aware that I sound like a pedophile grooming his next victim. I’m not sure if Ava and I should be chatting like this, but the poor girl clearly needs someone to talk to.
I understand why she’s confiding in me. I’m a stranger. I’m neutral. I won’t judge her like her parents or a friend might. She can clearly see that I have her best interest at heart. She knows I can relate to her since I cut too when I was young. Not everyone knows what it’s like to be a tortured teenager, but we both certainly do.
That’s not the worst part, she writes.She’s been keeping secrets all my life.
Really?I reply.
I’ve been reading her diary too. She keeps her diaries locked in a briefcase in her closet. She doesn’t know I know where she keeps the key.
I shake my head. Renee is so fucking stupid. Children are much more resourceful and smart than we usually give them credit for. If I were having an affair, I would certainly not be keeping evidence of it anywhere in my house. It’s almost as if the tramp wants to get caught.
Apparently my dad is not my biological dad. I don’t know who my real dad is. I don’t know who I am… where I come from.
