Page 50 of Sweet Like a Psycho (Secrets of Suburbi 2)

My heart rate kicked up a notch. “You were at my lake?” Shit. I was worried about random cops and dogs poking around in my business. I thought I was done worrying about Tucker.

“Yours?” He smiled at me as he made the turn onto the road that led to my house. There were no other houses, so it was basically a super long driveway. “It’s public property, Violet.”

“I know. But no one ever goes out into these woods.”

“Because they’re scared of you?”

“Yeah, I guess.” What do you know that you’re not saying? I started fidgeting with my zipper again. Stop it.

“Well, you’re forgetting one important thing.” He pulled his car to a stop next to my truck and cut the engine. “I’m not scared of you, Violet.”

“Maybe you should be.” It was a warning I hadn’t even meant to say. But it was true. It wasn’t very wise to listen to the word of one person over dozens of others.

He lowered his eyebrows as he stared at me. “I thought we were done pushing each other away?”

“I don’t know how any of this works. I haven’t been on a date in six years, Tucker.”

“What are you so worried about?”

You seeing the real me. I shook my head. “I’m worried that I’ve become what they say I am.”

“And what is that?”

“A monster.” It came out as a whisper. For years I had wondered it myself. I had made some mistakes, just like everyone else. But they didn’t make me a monster. Everyone deserved a second chance. I knew that in my heart. But it was like I had been waiting this whole time for a flip to switch inside of Tucker. Why didn’t he see what everyone else saw? Sometimes I even saw it when I looked in the mirror. Sometimes I was worried that a similar switch would flip inside me and I’d repeat my mistakes. Again, and again, and again. The thought made me feel nauseous.

“You’re not a monster, Violet.”

“I know you’ve heard the rumors.” I turned in my seat to see him better. “Just rip the Band-Aid off. What have you heard?”

“Nothing nice.”

“You don’t have to sugarcoat it. I’ve heard them all. I just…need to know what you’ve heard.” Maybe I was wrong about Sally. Maybe she had learned to keep her big mouth shut after all the hurt she’d done.

“The basic consensus is that you cut up your family and ex-boyfriend into little pieces and hid them under your floorboards.”

Wow. “I actually hadn’t heard that last part.” I exhaled slowly. “That’s new.” And how utterly ridiculous. The smell would be horrible.

“When I still thought you were involved in my case, my first thought was that I had found something hidden in your floorboards.” He laughed it off. “But you’ve never even fired that gun you owned. I know you’re not capable of hurting anyone. Especially your own family.”

“Because that would make me a monster.” It came out as more of a question. I bit the inside of my cheek. Why did I ask him that? Of course murder made you a monster. Of course. Of course. Of course. The words echoed around in my head.

“Yes.” He laughed. “Murdering your family in cold blood would make you a monster.”

Of course, of course, of course.

“Violet.” He reached across the center console and grabbed my hand. “I don’t believe rumors. I believe you.”

My mouth formed a smile but it felt a lot more like a grimace. “We should probably eat before it gets cold.”

He nodded and let go of my hand. I sat there and watched as he unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. I took a deep breath before I got out, in hopes of clearing my head. He believed me. For now. I needed to remain calm or else I’d start to look crazy. It was hard to trust a crazy person. I climbed out of the car.

“Seems like Zeke likes when I bring dessert.” Tucker grabbed the plate of cookies and balanced it on top of the plastic container holding Lizardopolous 2. “Maybe cookies will distract him from what this lizard looks like.”

I grabbed the takeout bag. “I hope so.”

***

I placed the last plate in the dishwasher and glanced back outside. Tucker was still standing next to Damien, who was leaning under the hood of my c

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