Free Broken Cheaters by Lacey Silks Page B

party.” It had been two years since my sister had left home. The morning after her graduation party, she’d disappeared. And it was all my fault. “I missed you.”
    “I’m going to fix things, Pat. And I’m not going to run again – ever. I’m not going to let that bastard get away.”
    “Chloe, I’m so sorry about that night—”
    “—It wasn’t your fault.”
    “Of course it was.”
    “No, Pat. It wasn’t. It was all Jack’s fault.”
    “You wouldn’t have gone downstairs if it weren’t for me. I was jealous. I’m so sorry.”
    “Why were you jealous?” she asked.
    I shook my head. “I saw you in the bathroom with Nick, kissing him.”
    “Okay?”
    “Well, earlier in the night, he was kissing me, asking me out. The asshole didn’t even care. He was cheating even before we went out.”
    I’d felt so broken when I saw him and Chloe lip-locked that night, thinking how my sister could do that to me.
    “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
    “I know that now. But I think Jack saw you as well. That’s why he came to me, asking to get you to the basement.”
    “I broke up with him earlier in the day when I saw him feeling up another girl.”
    “Holy shit! Do all men cheat? What is wrong with them?”
    “Not all of them.” Her voice became dreamy; whomever she was thinking about must have been pretty special.
    “You have to tell me all about this guy who’s making you smile.”
    “I will. But I have some unfinished business first.”
    “With Jack? Chloe, just forget him. He’s not worth it.”
    “I can’t. If he could do all that to me, then he could do it to others. I shouldn’t have run away. I should have fixed it before I left. If Jack thinks he’s paid for his sins, he’s wrong.”
    “Paid how?”
    “Let’s just say we won’t be seeing him at his father’s side in the office. But I don’t want to think about him now. Now tell me what you’ve been up to. How’s work?”
    The swiping motion of the wipers was beginning to strain my eyes as we weaved up the mountain road. On top of that, someone was tailgating me, shining their high beams in my rear-view mirror.
    “We’re going to test a camera arm for the space shuttle in the vacuum next week.”
    “Next thing you’ll tell me is that you’re going to the moon.”
    It was so good to hear the sound of her laughter.
    “Nope, not going to happen. My feet are very happy when they’re on Earth. Are you working?”
    “I am. I’m a personal interior designer and decorator.”
    “Seriously? That’s amazing, Chloe. It’s what you’ve always wanted to do. Wait, does that mean you won’t be moving closer to home?”
    “I don’t think so. I have a new life now, Pat. And I’m very happy. I’m ready to put the past behind me. You should too.”
    “I’m trying.” I sighed.
    “How’s Mom?”
    “She couldn’t stop crying the moment you called. She wanted to come pick you up, Dad too, but we didn’t want to overwhelm you.”
    “Good. I think it’s better this way. I have a lot of apologizing to do.”
    “For what?”
    “For leaving without saying a word. Disappearing.”
    “Those first few days, we thought you were dead. Mom must have come up with a hundred possibilities of a kidnapping. I’m not sure what would have happened if it weren’t for your postcards.”
    “I’m sorry I put you all through hell.”
    “Hey, I deserved it. “
    “Pat, stop saying that. Please?” Chloe reached for my hand and squeezed it tightly. I felt a lump in my throat.
    “Okay.”
    That was the last exchange I remembered between us. They told me later that the roads were so slippery, I lost control. All I remembered was the feeling of the back of the car going faster than the front, and I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t remember much after that moment: just a lot of force underneath the steering wheel and a bright flash in the rear-view mirror. I swerved, and our car rolled off the cliff, fifty feet into the valley below, and