Free Where Secrets Lie by Donna Marie Lanheady

idea? Getting married?”
    “ Yes, it’s not like I forced him or something.”
    “ I’m sure he’ll tell you soon, honey. Meanwhile, I don’t want you to worry about Friday. It’s a minor procedure, and you’ll have the weekend to recover. You’ll be back to school on Monday like none of this ever happened.”
    Could it really be that easy?
    “ Now, I’ve told your father everything, so don’t worry about that. I’ll tell your sister you have a female issue that needs to be taken care of. The same goes for anyone else who asks. The less everyone knows the better off you’ll be.”
    Sara did not reply.
    “ Sara, did you hear me?”
    “ Yes, yes I heard you.”
    “ And you agree that no one needs to know the details?”
    “ Sure, that’s fine.”
    Sara just wanted her mother to leave, so she could call Brian. Before she went through with any of this, she needed to hear Brian say it was what he wanted.
    ~
    “ What happened?” Brian asked as soon as Sara got into his car.
    “ Just, please, get me out of here.”
    “ Where do you want to go?”
    “ I don’t care, just drive.”
    Brian pulled away from the curb. He glanced over at her as he drove, but Sara didn’t want to ask him anything until she could look into his eyes. That way, she’d know for sure.
    When he turned right on Arapahoe, Sara knew where he was going. After a couple of minutes, he parked in the library’s parking lot.
    “ Do you want to go down to the water?”
    “ No, let’s stay in the car.” There’d be fewer distractions.
    “ Will you please tell me what happened?”
    Brian had been frantic ever since he got her call. Sara sounded distraught on the phone but refused to tell him why. She just insisted he pick her up right away.
    Sara twisted in her seat to face Brian.
    “ Why didn’t you tell me you’d talked to your mother already?”
    “ You mean about us getting married?”
    “ Yes.”
    “ Because I haven’t, my dad doesn’t get home until tonight and I wanted to tell them together. Don’t you remember? We talked about this.”
    “ I remember, but my mother already talked to your mother.”
    Brian blanched. “What?”
    “ And the two of them decided that I should have an abortion.”
    “ They decided? Without even talking to us?” Brian’s gaze wandered toward the windshield. “I can’t believe she’d do that.”
    Brian didn’t know. That’s why he didn’t say anything. He hadn’t changed his mind. He wasn’t keeping anything from her. He just never knew.
    “ Brian, I don’t want to do it.”
    “ I know you don’t.” Brian shook his head. “I’m sorry, I just can’t believe my mother didn’t tell me. When did they talk?”
    “ I’m not sure, Mom said before she called the doctor.”
    “ She already called a doctor?”
    “ Yes, and made an appointment for everything including the abortion. It’s all scheduled for Friday.”
    “ Wow, she didn’t waste any time.”
    Wait a minute. It wasn’t just her mother.
    “ You mean they didn’t waste any time, right?”
    “ Yes, of course.” Their mothers were both complicit. “But I thought you told your mother our plan?”
    “ I did, I told her everything, and I thought she understood, but then she told me she made this doctor’s appointment, and they decided I should have an abortion. I thought you were in on it.”
    “ I was never in on it. Why did you think that?”
    “ It sounded like you were. Your mother was in on it. You hadn’t told me she knew. I don’t know, I got confused. I was just so shocked you hadn’t told me.” Sara started to feel unsettled all over again.
    Brian laid his hand on her arm. “You know I tell you everything.”
    “ I know, I’m sorry.” How could she have doubted him?
    “ It’s not your fault. They’re trying to force us into doing what they want.”
    “ Yeah, but what can we do about it?”
    As far as Brian could tell, there was only one thing left for them to do.
    “ We can leave,” he