AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sorry. I...” Liv stumbled over her words. “I opened the wrong door, but then I saw this nightstand. I love it.”
“Thanks. I found it at an estate sale and painted it Ella’s favorite color.”
Liv forced an awkward smile and rushed past Molly, down the hall into the bathroom, her hands shaking. She splashed water on her face, then stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes looked wild and exhilarated, her short dark hair sticking up like disheveled crow’s feathers. She counted to a hundred, trying to calm her racing heart.
Gabriela. Right here in this house.
Liv poked her head out of the bathroom and walked down the hall, floorboards creaking underfoot. All the guests were gone, Molly and Chloe nowhere to be found. She entered the living room and saw Ella sitting on the couch, knees curled into her chest, eyes fixed on the TV.
Gabriela. No doubt about it, not after that photo on the nightstand. Liv paused, captivated by the sight of her niece. Now she could see the resemblance to Kristina in her full lips and chin, her profile, the way her forehead sloped gently into her nose.
When Liv was maybe five or six, back when her mother sort of had her act together and all three of her children lived under the same roof, she used to stare at Kristina’s profile, just like this. They would sit on the couch, cereal bowls on their laps, watching Saturday morning cartoons. Liv spent much of the time watching Kristina, gauging her response to the shows. If Kristina laughed, Liv would laugh. If Kristina rolled her eyes, Liv would, too. She wanted to be just like her older sister.
A rush of hatred for Sam Howard nearly knocked her over. Not just for killing Kristina, but for taking Gabriela, for stealing all the memories they should have made over the years. Liv should know her niece’s favorite color, her favorite foods, and TV shows. Instead she felt like a stranger. Ella probably knew nothing about her history. She was supposed to be Gabriela Casillas—Kristina had given her baby her last name, to honor her father and their Puerto Rican roots. Obliterating that, turning her into the generic Ella Wander? It made Liv sick.
“Are you okay?” Ella asked. She turned to look at Liv, her eyes wide and concerned.
Liv forced herself to relax her clenched fists and smile. “You remind me of someone I used to know.”
“Who?”
Before Liv could make up an answer, Molly returned with Chloe, now dressed in pink pajamas.
Molly’s eyes lit up. “You’re still here—I’m so glad! Do you want to stay for pizza? Oh, I know—we could sit outside on the patio and listen to some Taylor, I can open a bottle of wine, it’ll be perf—”
“I can’t,” Liv said. “I need to get back.”
“Oh.” Molly’s gaze fell to the floor. “Well, thanks for coming.”
Liv couldn’t stop looking at Ella’s face. Trying to memorize it so she could tell Oliver everything. The way the corners of her mouth turned down when she concentrated, the way her eyelashes curled up.
“Can I get your phone number?” Molly asked. “Maybe we could hang out again?”
Liv didn’t expect she’d be staying in Durango long, especially once she turned Sam Howard in. But it would be useful to have Molly’s cell number—one more thing to pass along to the authorities.
“Sure,” she told Molly, and they exchanged numbers. “Have a great night.”
As Liv drove away, she mentally composed the email she planned to send the detective. Subject: Here’s that evidence you wanted.
McSnark’s STOP RUINING MY INTERNET
The official discussion forum for Molly Sullivan of An Invincible Summer
FannyPackLuvr posted:
I’m sorry, but that unicorn party for Clover’s birthday was NOT up to her usual level. How many times have we seen unicorn parties lately, anyway? Like, I’ve seen a half dozen in the past few months. It’s nothing new or unique and the fact that she THINKS it’s unique is sad.
MamaLlama99 posted:
Her posts seem sort of half-assed lately. I liked her better when she was single. Maybe it’s because she was more interesting back then, or maybe because now she’s not posting about the husband or stepdaughter so it’s totally obvious she’s leaving out parts of her life. Either way, I miss the old Molly and I never thought I’d say that.
SierraAngel replied:
THIS x 1000!
ColoradoGrrl posted:
So....... I live down the street from Molly and her family. I was at that party. My daughter came home filthy and the goody bags were junk.
