The secret between them, p.34
The Secret Between Them, page 34
“Finally,” she said, still gazing into the sky. The moment was suddenly incredibly romantic: the brewing storm, the sweet fragrance of imminent rain, and the cool breeze against her cheek. She and Duff had stood countless times at the drop-off and dreamed of a life together. Now, that time was at their fingertips. They would make lots of new memories and explore new places. They were leaving Foister, following their futures. Sage hoped she could show him Atlanta, the places she roamed as a child. It would be so amazing to explore the city with him.
She stood there, her back to him, waiting for him to wrap his arms around her and place his warm cheek against hers. Instead, the footsteps stopped behind her. Something was wrong. Before she could swing around, she heard a voice that froze her in mid-turn.
“Duffy ain’t coming,” a female voice said. Sage turned to find Lorna Munson standing directly behind her, her face bloated with loathing.
“What?” Sage asked, tilting her head like she hadn’t heard Lorna. She was buying some time to process exactly what was happening.
“You heard me,” Lorna snapped. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”
“What are you doing here?” Sage asked her.
“Delivering you a message.”
“Which is?”
“Duffy’s mine and has been for this past year.”
Sage blinked at her. “What about your husband?”
“What about him?” Lorna scoffed. “You interested? Maybe we could swap.”
Sage looked at her phone. There were no updated texts from Duffy. She quickly texted him: Where are you?
Lorna smirked, watching her. “Did he answer?”
“This is ridiculous,” Sage mumbled and attempted to sidestep her, but Lorna swiftly moved in front of her. “What do you want?” Sage asked, aware that Lorna outweighed her by at least thirty pounds. Sage was taller by a couple of inches, but Lorna was stockier. She was what guys admiringly referred to as thick. Full-figured. She wore jeans, tennis shoes, and a buttoned-up, short-sleeved cotton top. Her hair was trimmed short and styled. Lorna peered at Sage through long fake eyelashes. She looked like someone on her way to a cookout rather than a showdown.
“Haven’t you figured it out?” Lorna frowned at her. “That text you got tonight wasn’t from Duffy. He doesn’t even know we’re here.”
“What text?” Sage tried to stall again. She needed a plan if she had to fight Lorna.
A slow-developing smile etched across Lorna’s face, and then, she threw back her head and laughed. “Meet me at the usual,” she said mockingly and immediately dropped her grin and all traces of compassion from her face, showing Sage what full-fledge evil looked like. Lorna narrowed her eyes and twitched her face as if zoning in on every crazy thought that had led her there that day. “I sent you that message, baby girl. ‘Our usual place,’ and here you are.”
“Lorna,” Sage said, trying to get through to her. “You’ve made your point. I’m going home now.” She attempted to walk past Lorna again. This time, Lorna bumped violently into Sage, knocking her back a few steps. There wasn’t much of a clearing to start with, but now Lorna had forced Sage only a few feet from the cliff’s edge. Sage shouted at her. “Let me pass, Lorna. I don’t want any trouble.”
“First, I want to tell you something you don’t know.” Lorna rocked side to side before settling squarely on her feet. “Duffy. Your little boyfriend…” She took a step closer to stand within inches of Sage’s face. “Loves to parade you around like you two are the town’s mascot. What you don’t know is it’s all a lie. It’s only for show. But then, people say you’re his soul mate. Is that right?”
Sage pushed her. The element of surprise aided Sage as she lowered her head and shoulder, driving Lorna backward. Sage moved her back several feet before Lorna’s foot clamped down, halting Sage’s momentum. She wrestled Sage to the ground and pinned her on her stomach.
“I asked you a question,” Lorna shouted in her ear. Her knee was in the middle of Sage’s back. Lorna grabbed the back of Sage’s T-shirt and pulled her closer to the edge. Sage grabbed ahold of a stout shrub to stop her movement. She kicked Lorna’s shin, causing her to fall dangerously close to the edge.
Sage labored to her feet, and Lorna ran at her.
“Stop it, Lorna!” Sage crouched to absorb the brunt of her attack.
Lorna fell on top of her. “Or what, Soulmate? What are you going to do? Cry? Text Duff?” Sage jabbed her fist into Lorna’s jaw. The punch was hard enough to shift Lorna to the side, allowing Sage enough space to crawl from under her body. Lorna was too fast for her to get away. They stood face to face and grabbed each other’s clothing.
Lorna filled her fists with Sage’s shirt while Sage wrapped her arms around Lorna and gripped the back of her blouse. As they stood there, catching their breaths, both seemed to understand that they would tumble over that edge if one pushed the other.
“This isn’t funny,” Sage told Lorna.
“Am I laughing?”
“You’ve lost your mind.”
Lorna gestured behind her. “They found a body down there last year. Nobody knows what happened. Nobody’s going to know what happened to you either.”
Sage read the hatred in her eyes and knew she was serious. “Lorna, is Duff worth spending the rest of your life in prison?”
“For what? I’m not even here. Neither are you.”
Sage figured Lorna’s only hope was to pull her forward, trip her, and try to swing her body around toward the edge while separating herself in one swift movement. Sage also figured that Lorna knew that plan was chancy. If, at any point, Sage felt she was going over, there was no way she was going off that cliff alone.
Sage also had a plan that was just as complicated but better. If her plan worked, they would both live. Sage hoped to pull Lorna to the ground and kick her away to create enough space to escape down the hill. She was sure she could outrun her to the street below but couldn’t afford to lose her footing. It was a steep slope, full of loose rocks. If she slipped, she was a goner, but it was worth a try.
The first one to act had the advantage, Sage told herself. Ready or not, she counted to three and mustered all her strength to fling herself and Lorna backward to the ground. Sage yanked, and Lorna fell as planned. But then, she countered with her own strategy and landed her elbow deeply in Sage’s chest.
Sage cried out but still managed to roll to her side. She turned over again, fighting Lorna off of her, and climbed to her knee. Sage paused, kneeling, her back bent forward, head down, waiting for Lorna to come after her. As soon as she heard feet shuffling behind her, Sage savagely swung her elbow back and up, connecting solidly under Lorna’s chin, and back she went.
Sage had heard a pop and felt a sharp pain shoot through her shoulder. She grabbed her arm, worrying that she had dislocated it. She had only seconds to stand and start down the hill. Too much time had passed already. She lifted herself to her feet when Lorna screamed… a blood-curdling scream that paralyzed Sage for a second. Straightening, she swung around in time to watch Lorna stagger about.
At first, she marched forward toward Sage, staring blankly, and then her feet moved sideways at an accelerated pace as if she was fighting for balance. Her hand was raised to her head. Something resembling blood trickled through her fingers. And then, Lorna’s feet suddenly stop, locking her in place, her head tilting toward the drop-off, her body falling. Unable to fight off the clutches of the earth’s gravitation, Lorna Munson disappeared over the lip of the cliff.
“My God…” Sage screamed, not believing her eyes… although she wasn’t sure what she saw. Her eyes would have her believe that Lorna Munson just walked off the cliff… or did she dive? Was something chasing her? Did something pull her? Sage looked around before moving close to the edge to peek over into its dark abyss.
She backed away from the edge and fell to her knees. The stars still glistened in the heavens as peacefully as before. Still, she searched for signs of Armageddon or any sign of calamity. Tears welled up in her eyes. She should pray at a time like this, she told herself. Words felt so deeply suppressed inside her that she could hardly think. Her phone? Sage found it on the ground where she and Lorna had struggled. Still, no message from Duffy. She dialed his number. When he didn’t answer, she texted him: Please call me. A breeze found her squatting on the ground. It lifted the strands of her hair and cooled the perspiration along her face and back.
Sage gave the sky another glance and surrendered to its omniscience. She understood nothing… until she stood to leave. Then, she saw what Lorna must have seen. A man’s form stood about ten feet away from her, motionless, behind a patch of small pine trees. His hands were down at his sides. His feet stood apart. Shards of moonlight slipped through the spacing of the tree branches to outline him. Now and then, a gust of wind swayed the trees in such a way that exposed him. She stepped closer to gaze clearly into Duffy’s hardened face. His eyes were fiery. He stood there, watching her but not really seeing her. Sage blinked several times, giving his image a chance to dissolve, to be a delusion, but Duffy remained there, standing still, peering out from those lifeless eyes. And then, silently, he turned and slid into the night.
Someone screamed. Sage twirled around, her mouth gaped open.
She sprang up in bed, her scream still escaping her throat. “Leave me alone,” she cried.
“Sage,” Braxton called her name. His hand trailed up her arm and pulled her gently toward him. “Babe, it’s okay,” he said quietly. “You’re dreaming.” His hand found its place around her waist as she lowered herself beside him. He rolled toward her, smoothing the bedcovers around them. “You’re safe now,” he said, his warm breath caressing her temple. “You’re home.”
Sage closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink into the warmth of his body. She inhaled, taking in the familiar smell of his skin. Oh my God. She was home. Safe and sound. Sage buried her head beside Braxton’s chest and exhaled. Her breathing settled into a rhythm with his. She yawned and drifted off to sleep.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks and love to my family and friends for your encouragement and support throughout the years.
Major respect and thanks to Jalisa Haggins, Patrick Rosch, Doris Johnson, Michelle Dinh, Audrey Plunkett, and Steve Hoggard. I am indebted to all of you. Thanks for your help in making The Secret Between Them the novel it is today. I hope it makes you proud.
About The Author
R.D. Haggins has been writing for over forty years. She loves to travel and considers herself a connoisseur of early cinematic films. Ms. Haggins lives in Oklahoma City with her husband and two daughters. The Secret Between Them is her debut novel.
You can connect with her on her website rdhaggins.com.
Contents
Title page
Copyright
Dedication
Quote
Prologue: The Choice
PART ONE
Chapter 1: Hope vs. Foolishness
Chapter 2: Look at Her Now
Chapter 3: My Mother’s Rose
Chapter 4: Epiphany
Chapter 5: Married Life
Chapter 6: Cooking and Shopping
Chapter 7: Wrecking Ball
Chapter 8: Lost Key
Chapter 9: Characters in a Whodunit
Chapter 10: Baby Blue
Chapter 11: Even More beautiful
Chapter 12: Dinner with the Girls
Chapter 13: Maybe He Loves You
Chapter 14: Say Yes
Chapter 15: House Guest
Chapter 16: A for Effort
Chapter 17: The Big Room
Chapter 18: First Argument
Chapter 19: Celia’s
Chapter 20: Duffy to the Rescue
Chapter 21: Lost
PART TWO
Chapter 22: Still Lost
Chapter 23: Expect Me
Chapter 24: Consolation Prize
Chapter 25: Touchdown
Chapter 26: You Were There
Chapter 27: The Po Po
Chapter 28: Old Girl
Chapter 29: Headliner
Chapter 30: A Smile and a Wink
Chapter 31: Nightmare
Chapter 32: Watch Your Back
Chapter 33: Dios lo bendiga
Chapter 34: Get Out!
Chapter 35: Remembering Lorna
Chapter 36: Smoking Gun
Chapter 37: No Bullets
Chapter 38: This New Place
Chapter 39: That Night
Acknowledgments
About The Author
R.D. Haggins, The Secret Between Them
