hiding way down deep inside that he was better than this. That all those words of loyalty, commitment, and protection actually meant something and not just BS to feed into his whole macho biker act.
I guess I was wrong about him. He was just like the rest of them. A liar.
I’m used to it by now, how could I not be? I’ve had more practice than most having been on the receiving end of it. I guess that’s how I got to be such a good liar myself.
CHAPTER ONE
CHARLIE
THEN
“Let’s go, girls! We’re leaving!” mom called from the bottom of the stairs up to the second floor where Dana and I were fighting over the little white patent-leather purse in both of our clutches.
“Mine!” she screamed. My little sister had the highest-pitched squeal I’d ever heard. She’d perfected it over the years. We fought, she whined, then she yelled loud enough where mom would come running to her rescue. She’d gotten it down pat. And like clockwork, I heard the thudding of footsteps racing up the stairs in our direction.
My bedroom door swung open and mom stormed in, fully prepared to separate us.
“Enough!” She took the pretty little pocketbook from the middle of our tug-of-war and held it high above her head where neither I nor my baby sister could reach.
“It’s Easter Sunday! We are going to be late for church services and you two are up here fighting over a bag!?” she fumed. “What is it going to look like if we walk into the sanctuary hall after services have begun, hmm…? With my two daughters all mussed up from fighting like animals?”
Leave it to mom to worry more about what things would look like if her perfect family showed even the slightest bit of imperfection while on display.
“She started it,” I accused my brat of a baby sister of instigating the fight.
“Nuh-uh!” Dana retorted. “She won’t let me use her old pocketbook. I asked real nice, mommy.”
I rolled my eyes. “So? It doesn’t matter if you asked nice, which you did not. I’m using it today. And you’re nine ! What do you need a purse for anyway?”
Dana’s cheeks began to flush and her little palms squeezed themselves at her side. “I want to use the pocketbook! I won’t go to church without it!”
“What’s going on here?” Dad strolled into the room, still working on his tie.
Mom still held the purse hostage from both Dana and me.
“Nothing, dear. Just a little sisterly squabble.”
She handed the bag over to Dana who accepted it eagerly. My mouth dropped open and I could feel the pressure building inside me. Dana smiled while petting the bag as if to clear away any dust from the surface. She looked triumphant, knowing she’d won yet again.
“Let’s go, Dana, you’ve got your bag now.” Mom grabbed her little hand and walked past, between dad and me, leading my treacherous sibling down to the car.
I didn’t move. I was so angry that I didn’t trust myself not to start throwing things in my little room. It always happened like this! She’d always gotten her way. No matter what, mom always took her side and I was sick of it. I didn’t care if she was the baby… what about what I wanted for a change?
I felt years of emotion rising to the surface as that last reminder of my second-class rating was more than painful. I closed my eyes and felt my shoulders slump.
Dad’s hand reached out and pulled me close. “It’s alright, Charlie girl.”
I sniffled, “No, it’s not.”
He bent down, kneeling in front of me. He smiled, using his fingers to wipe away the dampness on my cheeks. “How about you and I take a special little trip to the store tomorrow after school, hmmm? It’s time you had another purse. A grown-up one. Not a little girl’s pocketbook.”
I lifted my eyes up in curiosity. “Really?”
I could hear my voice take on a new level of excitement. Mom didn’t take me shopping unless it was for both Dana and me, and my sister wound up with most of the purchases.
“Can we
I guess I was wrong about him. He was just like the rest of them. A liar.
I’m used to it by now, how could I not be? I’ve had more practice than most having been on the receiving end of it. I guess that’s how I got to be such a good liar myself.
CHAPTER ONE
CHARLIE
THEN
“Let’s go, girls! We’re leaving!” mom called from the bottom of the stairs up to the second floor where Dana and I were fighting over the little white patent-leather purse in both of our clutches.
“Mine!” she screamed. My little sister had the highest-pitched squeal I’d ever heard. She’d perfected it over the years. We fought, she whined, then she yelled loud enough where mom would come running to her rescue. She’d gotten it down pat. And like clockwork, I heard the thudding of footsteps racing up the stairs in our direction.
My bedroom door swung open and mom stormed in, fully prepared to separate us.
“Enough!” She took the pretty little pocketbook from the middle of our tug-of-war and held it high above her head where neither I nor my baby sister could reach.
“It’s Easter Sunday! We are going to be late for church services and you two are up here fighting over a bag!?” she fumed. “What is it going to look like if we walk into the sanctuary hall after services have begun, hmm…? With my two daughters all mussed up from fighting like animals?”
Leave it to mom to worry more about what things would look like if her perfect family showed even the slightest bit of imperfection while on display.
“She started it,” I accused my brat of a baby sister of instigating the fight.
“Nuh-uh!” Dana retorted. “She won’t let me use her old pocketbook. I asked real nice, mommy.”
I rolled my eyes. “So? It doesn’t matter if you asked nice, which you did not. I’m using it today. And you’re nine ! What do you need a purse for anyway?”
Dana’s cheeks began to flush and her little palms squeezed themselves at her side. “I want to use the pocketbook! I won’t go to church without it!”
“What’s going on here?” Dad strolled into the room, still working on his tie.
Mom still held the purse hostage from both Dana and me.
“Nothing, dear. Just a little sisterly squabble.”
She handed the bag over to Dana who accepted it eagerly. My mouth dropped open and I could feel the pressure building inside me. Dana smiled while petting the bag as if to clear away any dust from the surface. She looked triumphant, knowing she’d won yet again.
“Let’s go, Dana, you’ve got your bag now.” Mom grabbed her little hand and walked past, between dad and me, leading my treacherous sibling down to the car.
I didn’t move. I was so angry that I didn’t trust myself not to start throwing things in my little room. It always happened like this! She’d always gotten her way. No matter what, mom always took her side and I was sick of it. I didn’t care if she was the baby… what about what I wanted for a change?
I felt years of emotion rising to the surface as that last reminder of my second-class rating was more than painful. I closed my eyes and felt my shoulders slump.
Dad’s hand reached out and pulled me close. “It’s alright, Charlie girl.”
I sniffled, “No, it’s not.”
He bent down, kneeling in front of me. He smiled, using his fingers to wipe away the dampness on my cheeks. “How about you and I take a special little trip to the store tomorrow after school, hmmm? It’s time you had another purse. A grown-up one. Not a little girl’s pocketbook.”
I lifted my eyes up in curiosity. “Really?”
I could hear my voice take on a new level of excitement. Mom didn’t take me shopping unless it was for both Dana and me, and my sister wound up with most of the purchases.
“Can we
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