Give Up the Ghost by Angie Fox

Author:Angie Fox [Fox, Angie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781939661913
Publisher: Moose Island Books LLC
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

I drove down that hill with a new sense of freedom. I’d done it. I’d released Virginia Wydell’s hold on me. I’d let her know in no uncertain terms what I thought about her and her attitude. And I felt like I’d had my say for Ellis as well.

I never thought I’d see the day when the good citizens of Sugarland began saying “no more” to Virginia Wydell, and I was glad to be a part of it.

There wasn’t a second I regretted, except I maybe should have tried to help Big Tom lug that bowl. Then again, Big Tom could probably stuff me into the bowl and run a mile carrying us both if he set his mind to it.

I pulled over near the stop sign just short of Route 4 to come back to earth and breathe. And that was when I realized perhaps I’d better call Ellis before his mother did.

I wrestled my hands-free headset out of the glove compartment. The wires lived in a near-permanent tangle, and my entire system needed an upgrade, but I hadn’t been able to afford it for so long, and I’d simply gotten used to living without.

Yet another casualty of my life after Virginia Wydell had gotten hold of it.

Ellis picked up right as I’d gotten the headset on and the wires mostly sorted. “It’s me,” I said, trying—and failing—to douse some of the cheer from my voice.

“Verity.” He sounded relieved to hear from me. Because, of course, he thought I’d taken care of his mother.

Well, I had.

In a way.

“I checked on your mom,” I said, glancing over my shoulder as I pulled out onto the road. As for the rest, I wasn’t quite sure how to explain Virginia’s current predicament, so I settled for the facts.

Ellis grew silent as I explained how the page from the burn book had showed up in town, and the multiple repossessions it had inspired. I told him how his mother most likely had that championship cup hidden in her house, and the longer she held out, the worse it would be.

My stomach twisted in a knot for each prickly detail I felt morally obliged to add. I didn’t regret what had happened or my part in it. But I did feel terrible that a good person like Ellis had to be caught up with Virginia by virtue of being born. On top of that, poor Ellis had been cursed with an extra dose of moral obligation and an unwavering sense of duty to the wretched family who didn’t feel much at all for him.

“I advised your mom rather strongly to make things right with the people she hurt,” I said to Ellis. Including him, I added to myself, realizing my diatribe had taken me the length of Route 4.

“I’d like to think she can do that,” Ellis said, hedging.

We both knew what a step that would be.

“Either she’ll take my…ah, fervent suggestion, or I may have torched any and all bridges I had left with her,” I admitted.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.