Tell Me Lies Read Online Free PDF Page B

child? Cut me a break.”
    Maddie glared at her. “Hey, would you take Mel away from Howie?”
    Treva stopped in midscoop, and her knuckles turn white as she gripped the spoon. “I would do anything to protect my children. But I wouldn’t stay with a man like Brent.”
    “Then there’s my mother,” Maddie said. “A small point, I know.”
    “Are you kidding?” Treva shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to explain anything to your mother. But if you think you’re going to keep this from her, you can forget it. That woman is Velcro for gossip.”
    “And my mother-in-law. Helena’s never liked me much anyway. She’s going to blacken my name six ways to Sunday.”
    “You’re younger than she is,” Treva said. “She resents it. Your mistake.”
    “And then there’s the rest of the town.” Maddie went back to grating since anything was better than contemplating her future. “Frog Point is going to have a field day.”
    “Over you? Not a chance.” Disdain sat strangely on Treva’s cartoon face. “Nobody would say anything bad about Maddie Martindale, the Perpetual Virgin of Frog Point. Not even a demon like Helena Faraday.”
    Maddie jerked her head up at the venom in Treva’s voice. “What?”
    Treva frowned her apology. “I’m sorry. But if you weren’t my best friend, you’d be pretty hard to take. To tell you the truth, this is kind of a relief.”
    Maddie sat with her mouth open, trying to think of something to say. This was not like Treva. Treva laughed and made jokes and offered unconditional support; she did not lash out without warning. “Well,” Maddie said, stalling for time. “I’m glad it’s working out for somebody.”
    Treva dropped her spoon and came around the butcher block to sink into the chair across from Maddie. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Forget I said that. You’ll be fine.” Maddie stared back bleakly, and Treva picked up speed. “You haven’t done anything wrong. Hell, you’re the perfect wife and mother. Besides, who cares? Jesus, Maddie, you can’t live your life to make this damn town happy.” Treva leaned back. “Although come to think of it, you always have, haven’t you? Clean in thought, word, and deed?”
    “I don’t know about thought,” Maddie said, trying to recover from Treva’s onslaught. “Sometimes I have fantasies of standing downtown in front of the bank and screaming, ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck!’ just to see what people would do. Or running naked down Main Street. I really think about it, even though I know I’ll never do it.”
    “I’d pay money to see it,” Treva said. “Actually, I wouldn’t pay money to see you, but I’d pay double to see people’s faces.”
    “But I can’t do it.” Maddie put the grater down and leaned closer to make her point. “It would be stupid and pointless and embarrassing, and it would be awful for my family. It’s easier to do the right thing, you know?”
    “Not for all of us.” Treva scooted her chair back so roughly the legs squeaked. “Some of us found it was easier to do the wrong thing, and we’re still paying.”
    Maddie blinked at her, fighting her way through present trauma to past pain. “Is this about Three? Because nobody gives a damn that you had to get married twenty years ago.”
    “Before graduation?” Treva went back to her butcher block. “Nobody will ever forget. I could find the cure for cancer, and they’d say, ‘Treva Hanes—you know, the one who had to get married before she graduated— discovered the cure for cancer.’ Nobody forgets in this town.” She shoved the manicotti pan to one side and began to wipe down the counter. “But they won’t touch you. You do everything right. You married your high school sweetheart and never looked at anyone else. Hell, they’ll put up a shrine.”
    “Treva, have we got a problem here?” Maddie said. “Because this is not like you, and while-4-would love to be sympathetic, my life is in meltdown already. I need you on