Read Online EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE by Debby Conrad - Free Book Online

myself I’ll do better the next day, but it’s all a lie.”
    “Why, Rachel?” Hollin bent and curled her knees beside her hip. “Don’t you realize how harmful that can be to Chelsea?”
    “I don’t deserve her.” She ran both hands through her stringy hair, and Hollin wondered how long it had been since she’d shampooed it, or even run a brush through it. At least two days, if she remembered correctly. Rachel didn’t seem to care about her appearance at all.
    “What about Chelsea’s father?”
    “She has no father.”
    It was something Rachel had always said, but Hollin didn’t want to hear it anymore. “Someone had to have fathered her.”
    “Leave it alone, Hollin.”
    “Okay. Fine. I’m sure being a single parent is difficult. Maybe it would help to talk to a professional.”
    “A shrink?” Rachel dropped her hands to her jeans-clad thighs and gave a brittle laugh. “You were in therapy how many years? Did it help you any?”
    Okay, one for Rachel. “At the time, no. But lately I’ve been thinking about some of the things Dr. Baxter said. About facing my past, my fears. And I think maybe she was right.”
    “Yes, well, I’m not about to sit across from some man or woman, who thinks they know me better than I know myself, and tell them all my sins.” Her blue eyes turned cold. “It’s none of their damn business.” She jabbed a finger at her own chest. “I answer to me, no one else.”
    Hollin released a heavy sigh. She would never convince Rachel to speak to someone, and at the moment was too tired to try. Maybe now that Hollin had decided to stay in Whisper Lake, she and her sister would become close again. Maybe then she could help Rachel face her own fears. In the meantime, she needed her sister.
    “Rachel, what would you say if I told you I thought Griffin Wells was innocent?”
    Rachel’s eyes grew wide and she zoomed in on Hollin. “What did you say?”
    “I said--”
    “I heard you,” Rachel said impatiently, getting to her feet. “Why? What happened to make you change your mind? Did you remember something about . . . that night?” She flopped down on the end of the bed, the mattress bouncing with her weight. “Tell me what happened!”
    Hollin almost wished she hadn’t brought it up, but it was too late to turn back now. “I saw Griffin today.”
    “You what?” She brought a hand to her mouth, then slapped it against her thigh. “Would you please tell me? Did you talk to him? What did he say? Was he angry? Where were you?”
    “I was at the old trailer.” A strange wave of guilt washed through her with the confession, but she had no idea why.
    “Why would you want to go back there?”
    “I don’t know,” Hollin said, averting her gaze. She focused on a loose thread on the comforter, idly picking at it with her finger. “I thought maybe I’d find some closure in what had happened.”
    “Closure!” Rachel’s piercing voice ripped through Hollin’s ear drum. “Closure!” Rachel screamed again. “Are you crazy?”
    Hollin slowly lifted her gaze and kept it glued on her sister. “I don’t think he’s going to hurt me.”
    Rachel threw her head back and laughed, but when she lowered her head Hollin saw the unshed tears in her eyes. “No, he’s not going to hurt you. Unless he decides to get even.”
    Her spine stiffened, and her pulse spun wildly. “Rachel, what are you talking about?”
    Rachel pinned her with a gaze. “Nothing. Just stay away from Griffin. Don’t talk to him, don’t even look at him, if you happen to see him again.” She slid off the bed and flicked her hair from her shoulders. “I’ll take care of everything.” She headed for the door.
    “Rachel, wait!” Hollin threw back the covers and was about to get to her feet when her sister spun around.
    “Hollin, I’m your big sister. I didn’t take very good care of you back then, the same way I haven’t been taking care of Chelsea.” She sniffed. “But I promise you I’m going