Page 90 of Little Liar

“Someone is coming,” she tells me. “He was on the phone to a man. I couldn’t hear what he was saying. We need to go.”

I glance over at my car, hidden behind bushes, then at the body in the driver’s seat.

Help me put him in the trunk, I sign. I have a plan.

“Okay,” she replies quietly, wiping tears from her cheeks.

Olivia is barely any help. She drops his head on the ground while I hold his feet, shrugging when I glare at her. Then she stands aside, shaking, with a dead man’s blood on her hands as she hugs herself.

She covers her mouth. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Then turns and vomits all over the ground.

I shove him in the trunk, slam it shut, and go to Olivia, who’s hunched over still. Pushing her hair behind her ears and grabbing it all in a fist, I hold it back until she finishes bringing up her lunch.

She wipes the back of her hand across her mouth. “Oh God. What do we do? We’re going to get into so much trouble and they’ll send you back to prison. Malachi… I can’t lose you again. I’d rather be dead than lose you again.”

No one is dying, I sign. I have a plan. Then while sliding my thumb over the mark under her eye, my nostrils flare.What did he do to you?

“I managed to knee him in the balls, so he punched me.”

I grit my teeth and glare at the trunk, wishing I could bring him back to life so I can kick his ass before killing him again.

“Look at me. I’m fine.” She rubs my cheek, running her thumb across my lips, coating them in red. “Tell me your plan.”

Nervously, I stand at the entrance of Vize Manor.

Olivia is beside me, holding my hand tight, rubbing her thumb over my skin to reassure me that everything will be okay. I can’t go back to prison. Especially for murder. I refuse.

The door opens.

Mom frowns, her face growing paler by the second when she sees Olivia, and how we’re both covered in blood.

“We need help,” Olivia tells her. “Someone tried to kidnap me.”

“Oh. What happened?”

Why isn’t she more concerned?

Dad appears at the door, tilting his head and pausing when he notices the mess on both his children. “What’s the meaning of this?”

Our fingers slip apart as Olivia runs for our father, burying her head in his chest as she sobs and cries and shakes. He’s confused yet holds her back anyway, lifting his gaze to me. Given the look in his eye, he thinks I did something.

My shoulders slump as her words fail and all we’re left with is silence beyond my little sister’s crying.

I need your help.

Mom laughs. “You must be joking. Why in the world would we help you?” she sneers, looking at me in disgust. “You’re not welcome here. Get the hell away from our house before I call the cops.”

Dad stops the door with his walking stick as my mom tries to close it in my face, shutting me out from Olivia.

She points at me, stepping right into my face yet speaking to my dad. “He tried to kill you and now he’s hurt Olivia! We aren’t entertaining him. He’s no longer our son.” Then her eyes burn into my soul. “You were my biggest mistake. You should have stayed in the system and messed up someone else’s family. Or better yet, you should have died with your mother.”

I can’t hit her. But fuck do I want to.

“How dare you,” Olivia snaps, stepping away from Dad. She takes my hand again, showing she’s with me. “Don’t ever speak to him like that again.”

“I’ve heard enough.” Dad glances between us then at Mom. “Leave us be.”

“Excuse me?”