The Perfect Lie

pte

neath her dresser drawer, but it weighed on her chest like a rock. She had slept little,

n't s

nd, so simple. But his smi

y next to her, his breathing slow and even, on

sound on the hardwood floor. She breathed shallowly, her

th

still

nt of the dresser. Her fingers found the false panel, pressing softly unt

ancing back at Et

rned to the

ou don't remember. But you need to t

ng. A message

rned t

. He says I love him, but I don't feel it. I shou

heart p

me. And I think I've

as her breath ca

knew

s wrong before the acciden

hands trembling. But as she

the journa

he truth has

realization

ripped out

person would

ustle of shee

ove the journal into the drawer

en

d, forcin

through his dark hair. His eyes blinked sleepy, b

y?" he questioned, his

but she spoke casua

arted to t

, she was ce

ser to her. "Come here," he whis

ose, his lips grazing a soft kiss on her fo

" he whispered. "Your memories wi

etended

sn't waiti

nd out what h

efore he realized she

-

a by herself for the first time. As soon as the fron

from her diary, he would h

h drawer, feeling along the backs and bottoms o

ng the shelves, pushing neatly stacked clothes

tion at

e stash somet

nded on his

her the room was off-limits, but

gh to raise h

racing. She turned the knob, half-

was

de, shutting the

massive mahogany desk took over the room, papers stacked i

owly on the drawers. The first several

locked one. Her s

awers mea

ecking the bookshelf and the small dr

on Ethan's blazer d

ath catching when her fingers closed around

it into the lock. With a gentl

a stack of paper

rn-out

diary, neatly

e unfolded them, scann

en she

who he sa

page were a screa

don't know who he is.

ran down

rned t

he caught me before I could get away. If s

and over her mouth

er he was lied

ed as she turned

I have to have som

at the bottom in

e she didn'

Gra

the name, her

was

as the sound of a car en

eaped into

as E

elocked it, and returned the key to his

, pretending to read, by

g down his briefcase.

ing a smile. "Jus

a moment, his face

he sm

could sneak away for the weekend.

blood r

hat this w

as test

was remembering, she'd n

happy smile, edgi

ds perfect

e had no

now one thing

to locate N

it before Ethan reali