I Don’t Read Between The Lines, I Only Tell The Truth Outright Chapter 04

I Don’t Read Between The Lines, I Only Tell The Truth Outright Chapter 04

The clerk told me I could register at my employer’s address.

I had worked in that city for six years, and my employment and tax records were all in order. I had somewhere to go that wasn’t the Weston house.

I called HR at my company. Angela heard me out and sent the employer letter over immediately. “You should have asked months ago. This part is easy.”

I looked at the file on my phone. What the Westons had dragged out for three years took 15 minutes.

At 2 p.m., I had a new stamped receipt in my hand.

There was nothing in the family group chat. The last message in it was still my mother’s from that morning.

Mom: [We’re bringing Nora home today, and nobody misses dinner tonight.]

Five people had answered underneath in a neat little row.

“Got it.”

I looked at those five identical answers for a few seconds and left the chat.

When I got back to the house, the living room was empty. The housekeeper was directing the movers to put everything of Daphne’s back where it came from, and he looked uncomfortable when he saw me.

“Nora, your mother said we’re holding off on the room. Daphne isn’t doing well.”

“All right.”

He waited. “You aren’t going to ask why?”

“I already know why.”

I went upstairs to pack, and there wasn’t much to pack.

Three years earlier, I had arrived with one suitcase. Three years later, it was still one suitcase.

The dresses in the closet still had their tags on, because my mother had bought them in Daphne’s size by mistake and passed them to me. The men’s watch on the desk was one Adrian had bought for Eli, and I got it because he had accidentally bought two. Miles had given me a case of sleep aids once, and he didn’t know I was allergic to one of the ingredients.

Eli had never given me anything. The first thing he ever said to me was this.

“Daphne scares easily. Don’t push her around just because you’re the biological one.”

I left everything that wasn’t mine exactly where it sat and took my documents, my laptop, and the old photo album my grandmother left me.

The housekeeper followed me to the door. “Nora, where are you going?”

“I’m moving out.”

“Do your parents know?”

“No.”

“Then I have to call them.”

“Go ahead.” I put my room key in his hand. “While you’re at it, tell them the guest room is free.”

His face changed. “That isn’t the guest room. That’s your room.”

“There’s no name on the door. Nothing in the closet fits me. I lived in it for three years, and all of you still call it the guest room.” I asked him seriously. “What part of it looks like mine?”

He had no answer.

I carried my suitcase down the stairs, and Daphne was coming through the front door right then with the whole family around her. There was color in her face, and she had an iced coffee in her hand.

She stopped walking when she saw my suitcase. “Where are you going?”

“I’m moving out.”

My mother came over fast and put a hand on the suitcase. “Because of one morning at the records office?”

“It isn’t only today.”

“Then tell me what else.”

I looked at her. “She got the room because she was used to living in it. She got the locket because she had been sick. Everyone chased her out of my own welcome dinner because she was upset. Everyone left the records office with her because she has an anxiety disorder. There’s a reason every time.”

My mother’s eyes filled. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner that it mattered this much to you?”

“I did. You told me I was nitpicking.”

Her hand went stiff on the suitcase handle.

Adrian moved in front of the door. “Put the bag down and let’s sit and talk about this.”

“Talk about what?”

“You want the room? It’s yours. You want the locket? Daphne will give it back.”

Daphne went pale.

I asked Adrian a question. “When I asked yesterday, why didn’t you give it to me?”

“Everyone was angry.”

“And why now?”

“Because you’re leaving.”

Then he went quiet.

I nodded. “So none of you suddenly decided these things should be mine. You worked out that if you didn’t hand them over, I’d leave.”

My father came over with a hard face. “Nora, you’re 25 years old. Don’t threaten your parents by running away from home.”

“I’m not threatening anybody.”

“Then what’s the suitcase for?”

“It’s a notification. I’ve already moved out.”

Eli laughed at that. “Where do you think you’re going? Do you have any idea what rent costs out there?”

“I do.”

“And if you live alone and get sick, who takes care of you?”

“I always took care of that myself.”

The laugh died on his face.

Daphne came over and reached for my arm. “Nora, don’t blow up your whole family over me. Whatever you want, I’ll give it back.”

I looked down at her hand. “You said it was over you. So you already know that my leaving has something to do with you.”

She let go fast. “That isn’t what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

Daphne started to tear up again, and my mother stepped in front of her without even thinking. Once she had done it, my mother froze too.

I looked at my mother standing between Daphne and me, and this time I didn’t ask.

My father started to say something else, and my phone rang. The office needed me to come sign the address confirmation form.

I pulled my suitcase around all of them.

My father shouted at my back. “If you walk out today, don’t expect any of us to come get you!”

“All right.”

Behind me, nobody said another word.