Page 8 of Depraved Truths

Inside, I find him in the recliner with a beer in hand. It’s barely noon.

I force a smile. “Hey, honey, I thought you were going fishing with your brother today.”

“Nothing was biting, so we called it quits. He glances up from the TV, a flicker of irritation and impatience shining in his eyes. “Where’ve you been?”

"Do you ever listen to what I say?” I joke, trying to keep things light. “I met up with Tessa at the coffee shop.”

Dalton reaches out and grabs my left wrist, his fingers tightening.

“Ouch, you’re hurting me,” I gasp, feeling a sharp pain shoot through my arm.

He doesn’t let go, his grip tightens even more. “We’ve talked about this. You’re my girlfriend, and I always want to know where you are.”

“I… I’m s–sorry, but I had my phone, so you could’ve called,” I stammer.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over. Dalton suddenly seems to realize what he’s doing. He releases me, and I massage my wrist, trying to ease the pain.

“Allie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I overreacted.” He draws in a deep, audible breath. “Let me make it up to you. What are your plans for today?”

Letting out a shaky breath, I try to hide the lingering pain. I know he didn't mean to hurt me—he never has before.

“Tessa and I are going to hang out at the lake and get some sun,” I answer, my voice uncertain.

A bright smile lights up his face. “That sounds nice. Enjoy yourself. I’ll go into town and pick up some steaks and a bottle of your favorite wine. When you come back, we can spend the evening together.”

“That sounds lovely, honey.” Hoping he doesn’t notice my discomfort, I swallow the lump in my throat and steady my trembling hands. Pushing aside the thoughts of what just happened with Dalton, I quickly change, grab up my tote bag, and leave for the lake.

Chapter 9

Jace and I work for several hours, meeting with Mrs. Cunningham and reviewing blueprints for the ongoing construction project. Even though I have multiple subcontractors, I still prefer to be hands-on and involved in every project we take on. By early afternoon, we’re making no progress, so I decide to call it a day. Being the boss has its perks, and since the weather’s perfect—clear skies and a gentle breeze—it’s a great opportunity to go fishing.

“Hey, man, let’s give up for now and hit the lake,” I suggest.

“Hell yeah, let’s do it,” Jace agrees.

I text my buddy Trevor, who does framing work for the company, to see if he wants to join. He replies almost immediately that he’s in, so we make plans for him to meet us at my house in an hour.

After dropping Jace off at the office to get his truck, I stop to pick up a few bags of ice before heading home. My place is a two-story modern house with an expansive view of the lake and a large boat dock.

Inside, I change out of my work clothes, fill the cooler with bottled water and beer, and head outside to load up the boat with fishing gear. I’m almost done when Jace and Trevor pull up. Aero, Jace’s dog, trots over to me, tail wagging and I crouch down to scratch his head. “Hey, bud.”

With the fishing poles and tackle boxes on board, we head out on the bass boat with me at the helm. This boat’s my baby, second only to my truck. I love the feel of the engine roaring to life beneath me. Lake Lucia is a vast body of water that spans forty thousand acres with nearly seven hundred miles of shoreline. Eight towns surround the lake, most with beaches where locals and tourists gather on warm summer days. The water’s stunningly blue, making it famous and perfect for all kinds of water sports. Older residents call it “Devil's Lake,” fueled by the cautionary tales of mysterious drownings, yet despite the stories, swimming remains a popular activity on hot summer days.

My sister, Paisley, loved swimming. The familiar flash of pain hits me as images of the two of us splashing in the water when we were kids flood my mind.

As I drive toward our favorite fishing spot, my thoughts drift back to that fateful night, so many years ago.

It was a warm summer evening in late July, just after my eighteenth birthday. My parents were out of town for the weekend, and I had planned a huge party they knew nothing about. They had only one request: I had to look after my little sister, Paisley, and keep her safe.

My birthday bash had been in the works for months. I’d invited all my classmates, especially my buddies from the football team. It would be my last hurrah before heading to the University of Georgia, where both myfather and grandfather had studied. I couldn’t wait to leave Lake Falls, eager to move on to bigger and better things.

Jace and my girlfriend, Molly, were busy putting up last-minute decorations when the keg arrived. Inside, Paisley spent most of the day sulking in her room. She had wanted to go to her friend Sasha’s house, but I wouldn’t allow it. I didn’t trust Sasha. She was two years older than my sister and had a reputation—she had hooked up with half the football team, myself excluded, and had even been arrested for shoplifting a few weeks earlier. I didn’t want Paisley falling under her influence. Though my sister could be a spoiled brat at times, I was still protective of her. Instead, I offered to let her invite other friends over—on the condition that no one drank.

By ten that night, the party was in full swing. The guys played beer pong, laughing and trash-talking, while the girls danced. I kept an eye on Paisley, making sure she wasn’t sneaking drinks or doing anything stupid. But as the night went on, one beer turned into ten, everything blurred together, and I lost track of time. Molly had been all over me, dragging me into the pool house to hook up. The last thing I remembered was glancing at the back porch and seeing Paisley talking with one of her friends.

Little did I know, that would be the last time I saw my sister alive.

The next morning, I woke up on the couch in the pool house, surrounded by my friends, who were either passed out on the furniture or sprawled across the floor. Empty red Solo cups littered the ground. Groggy, I immediately went in search of Paisley, expecting to find her asleep in her bed. But she was nowhere to be found. Panic set in. I woke everyone up, and we frantically searched the property, calling her friends and checking with our neighbors, but there was no sign of her.

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