Read Online Lies I Told by Michelle Zink - Free Book Online

coming from the window.
    I crossed the room on bare feet and peered through the glass. Someone was singing.
    And it was coming from next door.
    Scanning the neighbor’s backyard, I spotted a figure, his face obscured by a wide-brim sun hat, moving across the grass in plaid shirt and shorts. I could only assume it was the man from the Jacuzzi. He held something in his hands as he sang.

    Southern trees bear a strange fruit,
    Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,

    I watched with fascination as he set down a step stool near one of the trees. He climbed up, lifting a bag to a metalcylinder hanging from one of the branches. Then I understood: he was filling the bird feeders in his backyard, singing as he made his way from one to the next.
    A chill ran up my spine as he continued singing. The crooning was eerie, almost creepy. And what was the song about? Dead bodies? It reminded me of my conversation with Selena, and the image of a car, abandoned at the Cove, suddenly appeared in my mind.
    I stood there for a few seconds before moving away from the window, trying to shake the uneasy feeling that had fallen over me with the sound of the man’s voice, the disturbing lyrics to the song he’d been singing.
    This place was getting to me.
    I slipped into my new sandals, fortifying my resolve. I would go to the bonfire. I would get close to Logan and everyone else in their group. I would do my job and I would do it quickly.
    Before things got even weirder.

Thirteen
    â€œHow was surfing?”
    We were on our way to the Cove, Parker driving the Saab while I sat in the passenger seat. A cool breeze blew through the window, and I was glad I’d passed on straightening my hair in favor of the beachy waves I’d been working all week. With any luck, the wind would only make it look better.
    â€œFine,” Parker said. “I mean, I suck, but that was to be expected.”
    â€œDid you have fun?”
    He seemed to think about it. “Yeah. Logan’s cool, and his friends are pretty chill, too.”
    â€œThat’s good.”
    â€œIt makes it easier,” he said. “Liking them.”
    Turning my head to the window, I thought about Selena. “And harder.”
    He glanced over at me. “Yeah.”
    Pulling into a gravel turnout, he continued down a winding road to a lot that sat halfway up the cliff. He parked next to a blue Lexus and rolled up the windows before cutting the engine. Then he turned to look at me.
    â€œYou don’t have to do this, Grace. Neither of us does.”
    I met his eyes. “Parker . . .”
    He shook his head. “I have money saved. I’d hoped to have a little more, but I think it’s enough. We could leave. Start over somewhere. I’d look after you. You’re the only family I have.”
    I looked around. This was definitely a violation of protocol. The windows might be rolled up, but it still wasn’t the War Room.
    â€œWhat about Mom and Dad?” I asked softly.
    His hand tightened into fists, the leather bracelets constricting around his forearm. “Cormac and Renee aren’t my parents. And they’re not yours either.”
    â€œThey’re the only parents I’ve ever had.” I hesitated, trying to find the words to make him understand. “I love them. They make me feel safe.”
    His laugh was brief and bitter. “You could go to jail, Grace. I wouldn’t call that safe.”
    I stared out over the Pacific, glinting like an endless sapphire, the past flashing through my mind. There had been a few nice families. And then there’d been the ones who weren’t bad but whose apathy showed in their eyes, in the way they looked past me, as if I’d already moved on when Iwas still right in front of them. I’d been able to live with that. What I hadn’t been able to live with were the other ones. The ones with cold beds and messy sheets, strong fingers wrapped too tightly around my