Fakers Read Free

down
there okay? Your car didn’t give you any trouble, did it?”
    Her aunt spewed out the questions like any
concerned parent, and technically, she was Kyra’s mom. Her Aunt
Carol and Uncle Tom had taken her in when she was a baby, just like
she’d told Cade. But the rest of the truth was that her mom had
been in prison when she had Kyra, and she’d never made it out to be
a part of Kyra’s life.
    But no one talked about her mother. She was
the sore spot in the Aberdeen family.
    “I made it fine,” she said patiently. “The
drive was easy. I just talked with the contractor about the house.
It looks…” She glanced up at the house, squinting into the sun.
“…It looks fun.”
    “You watch those contractors, now. They will
take advantage of a young girl like you.”
    Her aunt and uncle hadn’t approved of her
buying the house. Uncle Tom had grown up here with her mother, but
he had no love for his old home. “He was actually really nice. I
doubt he would do that,” Kyra said, defending Cade instantly.
    Aunt Carol sniffed. “Well, just be careful
down there by yourself.” Her tone softened. “Are you sure you’re
okay? I can come down there and help you settle in.”
    Kyra nibbled on her fingernail. “I’m fine, I
promise. I feel good about this.”
    “Have you talked to Dr. Standifer yet?”
    “No,” she sighed. Aunt Carol was already
worried about her, which she really did appreciate. She’d just had
a long drive and her nerves were shot. In truth, Aunt Carol was the
closest she ever had to a real parent. Uncle Tom had hated her
mother too much to really show his love for Kyra.
    “You’ll need to get in touch with a new
therapist down there soon,” Aunt Carol reminded her for the
millionth time.
    “I will.”
    “As soon as possible. You don’t want to have
to go on medication again.”
    Kyra cringed. She’d been on medicine once
before for her depression, but that had been a dark time in her
life. Since then, she didn’t need medication if her therapist
believed she was coping with her issues in a healthy way.
Unconsciously, she rubbed at the stack of bracelets on her left
wrist. “Yes, Aunt Carol.”
    Her aunt breathed out in relief, the sound
rustling in the phone. “Okay. I won’t take up any more of your
time. Get settled in and rest.”
    “Thanks. Tell Uncle Tom I said,
‘hello.’”
    “I will. He misses you,” Aunt Carol said,
but Kyra knew it was a lie.
    “I miss him too,” she lied back. “Well, I
better go…”
    “Right. Right. Call the therapist that Dr.
Standifer recommended tomorrow. I love you, Kyra.”
    “Love you too.” She hung up and looked down
her new street. She wondered if her mother had played on the
street, riding her bike or chasing Tom around.
    Lila Aberdeen had killed herself in prison
when Kyra was only one year old, but she would feel the darkness of
losing her mother for the rest of her life. The sadness tugged at
her, but she steeled herself. She fought it off and forced a smile
even though there was no one around to convince she was a happy,
carefree girl.
    She tried to tell herself to walk down the
porch stairs and start unloading boxes, but instead her feet
carried her away, toward the back of the house and into the
backyard. She picked her way through the overgrowth and out the
back gate. Tugging off her flip-flops, she walked down the path to
the beach.
    Her toes hit the sand, and Kyra knew she was
home.

two

     
     
    S he’d told herself
she was only going to put her toes in the water, but Kyra couldn’t
resist the temptation. She ran back to her Jeep and pulled off her
assortment of surf boards. On her back porch, she stripped off her
clothes, revealing the lavender bikini she wore underneath. Some
days she wore underwear like a normal person, but they were few and
far between.
    She was a Californian at heart after
all.
    She jogged to the water, toting her favorite
board. Once she was hip-deep, she began to paddle, savoring the
feeling of