Page 36 of Keep My Secrets
“I left to get away from you.” I don't understand how she can't wrap her head around that fact.
“Well, he looked into the man you trust so much.” Here it is, what lie has she cooked up this time? “He confirmed a lot of my suspicions. Aria. Theo is dangerous.” Theo’s body tenses.
Everyone has used the word powerful, when describing Theo. No one has said he was dangerous.
“What are you even talking about?” She needs to just tell us the lie so we can move on.
“Theo is working with the mafia.” Her voice is filled with conviction. She honestly believes this shit. I look at Theo, expecting to share a laugh, but his gaze is fixed on the front door, jaw tight and unmoving. “He is either going to leave you because of his job, or put you in serious danger because of it.”
This shit can't be real. I look back at my mom, who is still talking.
“When he left me, he got mixed up with this really sketchy group of guys. People he met at Acadia.”Theo went to Acadia University?I guess that makes sense, so many of his friends are alumni, as well. “And the PI talked to some of your new coworkers. He was told that they have seen you with Theo. That he uses intimidation to control and manipulate you. They have also noticed several bruises. They said you never explain how you got them and brush it off.”
Her eyes flick down to where my robe has fallen off my shoulder. Theo’s bite mark is now showing.
“You don't have to let him hurt you anymore.”
“He doesn't!” I shout as I fix my sleeve and tie the robe around myself tighter.
He doesn't manipulate me. He has never coerced me into doing something I didn't want. He would never hurt me, and there is a difference between being intimidated and someone using intimidation. Jonathan is just intimidated. He has expressed his concern before; he has to be the one talking to the PI.
“He frequents Acadia; he was just there a couple of weeks ago. He must have gotten you in his sights and then strategically placed himself in your life. He is manipulating you. He stalked you, and now is abusing you.”
I look to Theo for answers. His face just dropped to the floor.
“Theo?”
He finally looks at me.
“Were you at Acadia that weekend you left?”
“Yes.”
“Did you meet me at Acadia? “
“No.”
“He’s lying!” My mom’s voice rings in my ear. “He won't tell you the truth, bab?—”
“Don’t call me that!” I cut her off. I don't want to hear her try to use a sweet term of endearment when lying to me, especially not one that Theo uses.
The little voice at the back of my head telling me he is keeping secrets, that I'm not getting the entire story, keeps getting louder and louder.
He is lying. He is keeping secrets. He doesn't trust you. He is going to leave. He doesn't love you. You're dispensable. You're temporary.
The words repeat over and over, increasing in volume until I can barely hear the shouting match happening between Theo and my mom.
“You stalked her!”
“I did not!”
“You are hurting her!”
“The only one hurting her here is you. You have done nothing but torture her for your mistakes the entire time she lived in your home!”
“You’re just using her to get back at me! Was this your plan? Play the long game? Use my daughter to punish me for an honest mistake?”
“Honest mistake? You fucked half the town, the only mistake here is you.”
