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“Hey, Evie. What’s up?”
“Liam!” Evelyn whispers into the phone. “You will not believe what happened today!”
I feel she wants to discuss the news of Penny’s failed wedding. “What happened?”
“Penny never showed up,” she confesses. “We were at the church for hours, and she just disappeared. Andrew was so embarrassed he left without talking to anyone.”
I sigh, but Evelyn continues her recount. “Why do you think she ran away?”
“Evie, how would I know why she ran away?”
“We have to find her,” Evelyn cries. “It’s getting late; who knows where she might be? No one has been able to contact her.”
I wait for Evelyn to finish her rant before asking, “So what has this got to do with me?”
Evelyn is quiet for a moment. “You used to be best friends. Maybe you can call her?”
I contemplate telling Evelyn everything that happened today, but I change my mind. I’ll let the Millers make an announcement first. It’s not my place to say anything.
“Okay, Evie. I’ll try to call her.”
“You don’t sound worried at all,” Evelyn accuses as I reach the Miller’s house.
“You do know that Penny and I are hardly friends anymore,” I tease.
“But she was your best friend,” Evelyn insists. “You should want to know that she’s safe.”
“Of course, Evie.” I get out of the truck and grab Tex. I then put the key back in the hide-a-key and start heading home. “I promise to call her if you get off the phone.”
“Thank you, Liam.”
I sigh, “Good night, Evie.”
Chapter 6
Penny
My mother crosses her arms over her chest. Since Liam left, I’ve been unable to look either my mother or sister in the eyes. They’ve remained silent, waiting for me to explain myself. But it seems like my mother has run out of patience.
“What happened to you?”
I take in a deep breath, my body still shuddering from the heart-rending experience I’ve just had. “I fell off a cliff.”
“What?” Stacy screams in shock, slapping a hand over her open mouth.
“At the mountain. I fell off the cliff, and Liam found me. He rescued me.” Tears burn my eyes, and I sniff, afraid and relieved at the same time.
My mother crouches before me, taking my hand gently in hers. “I understand that you’ve just had a traumatizing experience, but we need to know exactly what happened. How did you get to the mountain? You were at the church, waiting to be walked down the aisle…”
I shake my head as she talks. “Mom, no. Please, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Penny,” Stacy butts in. “You can’t decide you don’t want to talk about it while we were left behind to clean up the mess.”
“Stacy!” My mother chastises her.
“I’m sorry, Mom, but it has to be said. Everyone was disappointed. The side talks, the stares, the pointed fingers, the least we deserve is an explanation for what happened.”
I stay silent long after Stacy’s rant. Where do I start from? What do I tell them? That I wasn’t in love with Andrew and only realized that on our wedding day? That Liam O’Connell is the man I love, and he had just by chance showed up to save me? Where do I start?
