Page 38 of Deception

He had denied the argument and that it had gotten physical, of course. He’d said he was watching TV and that was what Olive had overheard, not an argument. The cut on his forehead had been because he tripped.

Olive hadn’t believed a word he said.

Not long after that, they’d moved.

When Olive had run into Jason several months ago, she’d found out her dad had blackmailed Jason’s mom out of twenty thousand dollars. Her dad told Jason’s mom Olive was pregnant and that if Mrs. Stewart didn’t pay up that Jason would have to forfeit college in order to support his family.

But Olive had never been pregnant. She’d had no idea her father used such a terrible ruse. It had been a shock to her four months ago when Jason told her.

The manipulation made her sick to her stomach.

At first, Olive hadn’t known why her dad would lie about something like that. Had it only been about the money? She still didn’t know the answer.

However, it had since come to light that her dad wasn’t really a secret government agent doing covert operations. He was more likely a con man.

How did a person even recover from news like that?

Olive wasn’t sure . . . but she was leaning toward the idea that she couldn’t recover.

CHAPTER 21

Olive stared at the two-story beige house with the small front porch, a porch she and Jason had enjoyed many evenings as they swung back and forth on the swing, talking about their future together.

She’d always known her family would probably move again, but she’d only been two years from graduating. So either way, Olive had figured she and Jason could stay together. Maybe they’d go to the same college even.

The two of them had been determined to figure out a way.

Her future for once had felt exciting.

Then her family had left, fleeing in the middle of the night and not taking anything but their clothes and toiletries with them.

Her dad had told Olive that under no circumstance was she to be in contact with anyone from Oasis, Texas, again.

Through her formative years, her dad had programmed her to listen to him. It was a weird type of mind control, Olive supposed now that she looked back on it. But she hadn’t wanted to disappoint him.

He’d made his order sound dire. Every time Olive remembered those men she’d heard him arguing with, she wondered if by being in contact with people in Oasis she would put her family in danger.

As it turned out, her family had been in danger anyway.

Now, as Olive stared at her old house, she didn’t feel any warm memories.

She only felt regret.

Regret that she hadn’t stood up for herself more.

Regret that she hadn’t asked for more answers before it was too late.

Regret that she hadn’t stayed in contact with Jason anyway.

But it was too late to change any of those things.

Now Olive just had to live with the consequences.

Olive glanced up and down the street one more time. It was still empty, other than a few cars parked along the curb.

After a moment of hesitation, she pulled into her old driveway and parked.

Being here was risky, but she hoped the risk was worth the reward. Though the sun was sinking in the sky, it wasn’t dark yet. She hoped the brightness would work in her favor.

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