Read Online Tainted Love (Sweetest Taboo #2) by Eva Márquez - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Eva Márquez
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could think of – that Tony hadn’t seen me. I’d told him that I was going back to school, for both the internship and a boyfriend I couldn’t stand to be away from anymore. I’d promised him that I’d be back for Thanksgiving, and made him promise to hug his wife for me. I didn’t think he’d suspected anything then, but if he saw me here…with Tom…
Glancing past the door jam, though, I saw that he’d turned around and was walking quickly in the other direction. There was a tension about his shoulders, but that might have been from the heavy bags he was carrying. He must have come to town to shop for something specific. This sighting of my brother was nothing but very bad timing. If I had any luck on my side, I thought, he’d been too caught up in his own world to notice his little sister walking along the sidewalk with Tom.
If he’d seen me, though, I knew I was toast.
***
I whirled around and walked the other way as soon as I saw Isabel, practically sprinting in the other direction, while at the same time trying to deny what I’d just seen. Trying to convince myself that I hadn’t actually seen it, or that I’d been mistaken.
After all, why on Earth would my little sister be in this town, and with that man, when she was supposed to be on her way back to DC for her internship? Why would she have lied to me, and to mom and dad about where she was going and why? If she’d wanted to stay in a different town, with friends, she could have just said so.
Deep down, though, I knew it was her. I’d know the shape of that face, and those wide, doe-eyes, anywhere. And I knew exactly why she’d lied to us. That had been Izzy, and she was in fact walking along the street of this small town, holding hands with Mr. Stevens, announcing their relationship to the world. But not to her family. No, she’d lied to us, probably to protect us or maybe just to protect herself.
I’d heard the stories. Of course I’d heard the stories. Who hadn’t? And especially when my own sister was a big part of that rumor mill – the police had called her in Chile for questioning, for God’s sake, and they’d actually talked with mom and dad on the phone as well! Telling them the terrible things that were being said about that very teacher – Mr. Stevens – and what he was alleged to have been doing with my sister and other female students. Saying that my sister – our Izzy – was part of it, that she’d fallen victim to his charms and given in to him. That they’d been having a relationship, and that she wasn’t telling the cops the truth because she was trying to protect Mr. Stevens. They had called her an ‘uncooperative victim.’ They’d even threatened her at one point, saying that she had to cooperate with them or this was going to go on her permanent school record. She’d spent the night in my room, crying to me about it, telling me that they wanted her to lie so that they could get their arrest and close the case.
She hadn’t been part of any of it, of course. She’d maintained her innocence through it all, saying that nothing had happened. Mr. Stevens had been her swim coach, and he’d been friendly with many of the students, both on and off the swim team. He’d been seen driving students home often, and had known many parents outside of school. In the end, that had saved him. Isabel was the only girl named, for whatever reason, so her denial of the allegations had meant that he’d gotten off scott free.
Personally I’d never believed in the innocence she claimed, though she was my sister and I’d kept quiet to protect her. The last thing I wanted was her being drawn into a messy trial. In my heart, though, the thought of that man taking advantage of her – of him using my kid sister! – had made me sick. I didn’t want to know what happened, but I couldn’t help but wonder. If he’d abused her, I wanted to know, so I could do something about it. Protect her, even if it was far too
Glancing past the door jam, though, I saw that he’d turned around and was walking quickly in the other direction. There was a tension about his shoulders, but that might have been from the heavy bags he was carrying. He must have come to town to shop for something specific. This sighting of my brother was nothing but very bad timing. If I had any luck on my side, I thought, he’d been too caught up in his own world to notice his little sister walking along the sidewalk with Tom.
If he’d seen me, though, I knew I was toast.
***
I whirled around and walked the other way as soon as I saw Isabel, practically sprinting in the other direction, while at the same time trying to deny what I’d just seen. Trying to convince myself that I hadn’t actually seen it, or that I’d been mistaken.
After all, why on Earth would my little sister be in this town, and with that man, when she was supposed to be on her way back to DC for her internship? Why would she have lied to me, and to mom and dad about where she was going and why? If she’d wanted to stay in a different town, with friends, she could have just said so.
Deep down, though, I knew it was her. I’d know the shape of that face, and those wide, doe-eyes, anywhere. And I knew exactly why she’d lied to us. That had been Izzy, and she was in fact walking along the street of this small town, holding hands with Mr. Stevens, announcing their relationship to the world. But not to her family. No, she’d lied to us, probably to protect us or maybe just to protect herself.
I’d heard the stories. Of course I’d heard the stories. Who hadn’t? And especially when my own sister was a big part of that rumor mill – the police had called her in Chile for questioning, for God’s sake, and they’d actually talked with mom and dad on the phone as well! Telling them the terrible things that were being said about that very teacher – Mr. Stevens – and what he was alleged to have been doing with my sister and other female students. Saying that my sister – our Izzy – was part of it, that she’d fallen victim to his charms and given in to him. That they’d been having a relationship, and that she wasn’t telling the cops the truth because she was trying to protect Mr. Stevens. They had called her an ‘uncooperative victim.’ They’d even threatened her at one point, saying that she had to cooperate with them or this was going to go on her permanent school record. She’d spent the night in my room, crying to me about it, telling me that they wanted her to lie so that they could get their arrest and close the case.
She hadn’t been part of any of it, of course. She’d maintained her innocence through it all, saying that nothing had happened. Mr. Stevens had been her swim coach, and he’d been friendly with many of the students, both on and off the swim team. He’d been seen driving students home often, and had known many parents outside of school. In the end, that had saved him. Isabel was the only girl named, for whatever reason, so her denial of the allegations had meant that he’d gotten off scott free.
Personally I’d never believed in the innocence she claimed, though she was my sister and I’d kept quiet to protect her. The last thing I wanted was her being drawn into a messy trial. In my heart, though, the thought of that man taking advantage of her – of him using my kid sister! – had made me sick. I didn’t want to know what happened, but I couldn’t help but wonder. If he’d abused her, I wanted to know, so I could do something about it. Protect her, even if it was far too
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