Proof of Deception by Alex Collins

Author:Alex Collins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: T L Haddix
Published: 2022-11-07T17:04:30+00:00

Chapter 18

When Joely called her not long after eight on Wednesday morning, her tone somber, and told her they needed to talk, Carrie knew it was bad. She wanted to say no. Something inside her whispered that whatever this talk was, it wouldn’t be good. Instead, she heard herself saying, “Sure. Come on over.”

She had been finishing up the dishes from breakfast when the phone rang, and she took care of the last of them before going to the living room to find Robbie, who was answering e-mails from his professors.

“Joely called. She’s on her way over to talk about something.”

He set his laptop aside. “Did she say what?”

“No. Sounded serious, though.”

They studied each other without speaking.

“We’ll deal with it,” Robbie finally said. He held his hand out, and she crossed to where he was sitting to take it. “Whatever it is. Do you know if she ever talked to Jackie and Richard about Sunday?”

Carrie perched on the back of the couch and played idly with his fingers. She loved the shape of his hands, the texture, the warmth. “Not unless it happened last night. She’s avoiding them, and I can’t say I blame her. Where do you even begin to try to fix that sort of thing?”

“I don’t know.” He pulled her over the back of the couch and onto his lap.

“Robbie!” She laughed quietly, sliding her arms around his neck to lean into him. “She’ll be here soon.”

He kissed her playfully, moving one of his hands down to the curve of her hip. “I’m pretty sure Joely’s seen people kissing before. I don’t think she’ll be too traumatized if she catches us in the middle of swapping spit.”

“Yes, but what happens when we aren’t playing house anymore?”

His hand tightened reflexively on her thigh. “Who says we have to stop playing house?”

Carrie couldn’t meet his eyes. Instead, she reached up and traced his lips. “Now probably isn’t the time to talk about this.”

“Probably not. But the time is coming. I’ve been waiting for years to get you here. I’m not going to give you up easily,” he murmured, then kissed her again.

The ringing of the doorbell jerked Carrie out of the kiss with a start. She scrambled up off Robbie’s lap so fast, she almost fell on the floor.

“Easy. Don’t kill yourself getting there.”

She stood and straightened her shirt, sending him an exasperated look. “Behave.”

Robbie grinned at her and, his movements hidden from the view of the front door behind the couch, adjusted himself.

All humor faded, however, when they saw that Joely wasn’t alone. Jason was with her. Both of them looked grim.

“Come on in,” Carrie said as she opened the door. “You two look like bearers of bad news if I’ve ever seen any.”

Neither of them cracked a smile, and Carrie looked to Robbie for support.

“Well, sit down and spit whatever it is out,” he said. “I’d offer you something to drink but…”

“We’re good,” Jason said, lifting his paper coffee cup from The Brown Bag, a local bakery and coffee shop.

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