Page 98 of The Roommate Lie

We head downstairs anyway, just in case, and as soon as I see the chaos around us, I gasp. Beside me, Charlie emits a stunned chuckle.Did the Sharp twins have a food fight with a raccoon?

That’s what it looks like. There’s pie everywhere, even on Tyler and Lydia. And although the raccoon is fine, a dessert or two has definitely been murdered.

Before we can intervene, Charlie’s front door flies open, but it isn’t Wild Bill Tipton, here to save the day. It’s Charlie’s mom, and the people who wander in behind her are a little too familiar. A little too upset.

“Alice Evelyn Kilpatrick,” my dad says as my mother and sisters file in too. Everyone but Marcus. “What were you thinking?”

I can’t answer. I try, but nothing comes out. Then my family notices the scene around them, all those red smears of pie, and they’re speechless too.

In the quiet that follows, Wild Bill finally shows up, but the mess in the living room doesn’t surprise him one bit—only the raccoon herself as she runs over to greet him.

“Barbara Anne?” he exclaims. “Is that you?”

Chapter Fifty-One

ALICE

This is the most embarrassing thing my family has ever done.

I thought we passed that milestone years ago, when I went on my first date at seventeen and realized my dad was in the restaurant too. In the booth right behind us. But this is worse.

They flew to Colorado to hunt me down. Because I didn’t return their phone calls.

I’d love to blame my Aqua Phone—or Jason and Tiffany. (Did they really have to go Instagram official so soon? Right after he texted that he missed me?) Though I know it’s my own fault.

It’s been almost forty-eight hours since my family realized I wasn’t with Jason anymore, since they tried to contact me but couldn’t. Telling them about my breakup had felt too complicated a few days ago, but if I had, they would’ve known where I was when my sister saw Jason’s loved-up post on social media. No matter how broken my phone is, they would’ve known how to reach me.

Jason never returned their calls. They couldn’t even get ahold of Carl using the contact info I texted Marcus on my fist day in town. Maybe the local sheriff’s office could’ve saved me,but telling my dadCharlie’s not that bad—we’re sure she’s finewhen he called only made it worse.

So now they’re here. And I’m living a nightmare.

“You could’ve at least emailed us,” Emma says, hands on her hips. “You still had your laptop, but I didn’t hear from you once. You didn’t eventry.”

I should let that go—I’m in the wrong, and I know it. Keeping this a secret from the rest of my family is one hundred percent my fault. But is she serious?

“You’ve been mad at me for weeks—you told me not to text you anymore. Why would I send you an email?”

I should’ve emailed someone, though, and I do my best to explain, to apologize. Nicki is the only one who forgives me. Her face softens, and she spends most of my apology glancing between Emma and me, as if she has only now realized how much our sister hates me. How angry Emma is at me—and only me—about Nicki’s big secret.

Because it’s hard to be mad at the girl with the newly diagnosed medical condition. Even if the lie was her idea.

As I stammer and stutter in the mudroom, a lot of things happen in the rest of the house. Wild Bill realizes Barbara Anne—one of his favorite old rescues—has a pretty bad infection on her leg from a fight with another animal and needs extra care. After he loads her up with her babies to take them to his wildlife center, everyone else sticks around to clean up the Great Pie Disaster. While they work, Charlie’s mom, Muriel, and the Sharp twins keep giving me sympathetic glances, but I’m not sure about Charlie. I can’t bear to look.

“This is so like you,” Emma interrupts. “Why do you have to keep secrets all the time? Can’t you tell the truth about anything?”

Again, Nicki’s brow furrows. She’s wearing her sunglasses inside—probably because Charlie’s lights are too bright andshe’s having another one of her headaches. I can’t see her eyes, but her head shifts back and forth between Emma and me like she’s watching a tennis match. Before she can intervene, Lydia beats her to it.

“Family meeting,” she bellows at the top of her lungs.

I’ve seen Lydia do this with Tyler twice before. One of them yellsfamily meeting, and then they go to a different room to work something out. Except this time it’s different. She catches her brother’s eye, they share a nod of twin understanding, and then they spring into action. Tyler grabs Charlie’s arm on his way out the front door, and Lydia grabs mine.

Nobody tries to stop them. The Sharp twins are both smeared with so much strawberry pie, they look like extras in a horror movie. It’s more than a little intimidating.

Once we’re outside, those Sharps are still pretty intimidating. They drag us across the lawn, and neither twin says anything until we’re tucked inside Charlie’s art shed. Door shut tight.

Everyone turns to look at me. “We’re in this together,” Lydia tells me. “But we can’t back you up if we don’t know what’s going on.”

It’s true. When I glance around, no one’s mad, not even Charlie. Their eyes are full of understanding and concern.

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