Page 110 of Intermission

“No! I didn’t even know for sure that he’d be there tonight. I—”

“Don’t youdarelie to me!”

The pressure of Mom’s grip eases from my arm, but the look in her eyes is Medusa-deadly.

“You’ve been sneaking around with that boy for months. I know you have.” Her whisper is a hiss. “You’ve been carrying condoms around in your school bag, for God’s sake. Yourschool bag!”

A gasp rakes my throat.How does she...?“That wasn’t even mine!”

“After everything we’ve done to break his hold on you, to keep you away from him, I can’t believe you’re still so intent upon throwing away your future—not to mention the reputation of this family—by behaving like a cheap, reckless littleslut!”

The insult shocks all ability to argue from my mind, but she doesn’t stop there.

Her voice is barely above a whisper—so Dad doesn’t hear?—but her insinuations and accusations reverberate against my ears. She spews venom, describing what she assumes about the nature of my relationship with Noah. But those vile phrases can’t come close to the shock of feeling—hearing—the smack of her palm, striking the side of my face.

I stagger backward, blindly grabbing for something to help me catch my balance, but my hands find only air. I fall hard onto the slate floor, my cheek scraping against the corner of a side table onthe way down.

Tears of pain and disbelief spring to eyes I had thought were spent from the grief of saying goodbye.

She hit me.Not only that, but the things she said...She called me a—

God!My heart cries through the sob exiting my lips.

Spare patches of moonlight spill through the sidelight windows of the entry door. Towering over me in the half-light, my mother looks almost inhuman. Malevolence drips from her shadow. Her eyes are enraged, but also focused, intense, like those of a predator. From my position on the floor, she appears twice as tall as she should.

I’ve feared displeasing my mother many times. But never before have I been afraid ofher.

I lift a hand to my throbbing face. Along my right cheekbone, warm moisture—sweat, tears... or blood?—meets my fingers. Did I hit the corner of the side table hard enough to break the skin? I don’t think so.

Mom hit me.The stark realization plays over and over in my mind. Physical violence is something I never imagined. Not from one of my parents.

She hit me. My mother hit me.My mind cannot wrap around what has just happened.

When Mom steps forward, I flinch. I can’t help it.

“I’ve confiscated your car keys,” she says. “You’re grounded until further notice. You will not leave this house unless another member of the family is with you. Ifthat boycomes within two miles of you—or even within two miles of our property—I will call the sheriff and press charges of statutory rape.”

What did she say? Rape?Oh, God! No!

“This is—how can you—how can you be so... evil!” My heart stutters back into motion, freeing my tongue.

“Keep your voice down!” She grips my upper arm. “Your father has an early surgery tomorrow.”

And she doesn’t want him to know what a horrible, evil ogress he married? “Noah would never hurt me!” I whisper. “Never.”

“You’re a minor. He’s an adult. It doesn’t matter if you wanted it or not!”

“I didn’twantanything!” I cry out, but when her fingernails dig in to my triceps, I lower my voice. “We haven’tdoneanything! How can you even think I would—?”

“Save it, Faith. Save the innocent act. I know the truth.”

“No, you don’t! You don’t know anything! And you certainly don’t knowmeif you think I—”

“I’ll tell you what Idoknow. Your father was already in bed when I got home, and since I couldn’t find you in the house, I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt. I called Jenna’s mother to see if you were with her, which, of course, you werenot.”

“I told you. I was at the waterfall.”

“Jenna’s mother told me about the condom you had in your schoolbag. Yourschoolbag? Really?” Her tone is coated in disgust. “And that was months ago, which means you’ve been fooling around with that boy for at least that long. But that doesn’t mean you used it. My God, Faith!” Mom’s voice breaks. “Please tell me you atleastused protection with him. And whoever else.”