Broken [ ON HIATUS ]

Chapter 31: Lies

Chapter 31: Lies

Juliet Rose

"Mom?" I croaked, awakening from my bed. Mom sat at the edge of my bed, as if she was waiting for me to wake up for so long. I rubbed the back of my head, trying to recall when I decided to sleep.

Then, the memories came flooding back to me; the handcuffs, the scarf, and everything else. I sighed, relieved that it had all been a nightmare.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Mom snarled, her eyebrows furrowed with both sympathy and anger. "Since when did you think stealing was okay?!"

I groaned, realizing it had not been a horrible nightmare after all. It was all real, and now I would have to face reality. I desperately wished that going back to sleep and never waking up was an option.

"I promise, it wasn't me!" I said sincerely.

Mom scoffed. "They caught you on tape!"

I shook my head. "No, you don't understand! I had the scarf on me only because Meg- I mean, I wanted to try it on," I lied. For whatever reason, I didn't feel good about ratting on Meg, even if it meant avoiding the truth.

She gave me a stern look and eyed me with suspicion. I groaned and stood up from my bed, storming out of the room. I didn't want to bother trying to convince her because I knew it wouldn't work. Stomping down the stairs, I noticed Xander rambling on his phone while Megan sat comfortably on the couch. 

Maybe it was just me, but she almost looked satisfied.

I stopped once I reached the end of the steps, listening to his conversation.

"Again, I apologize for any inconvenience my daughter caused you - Yes, I understand, but - Listen, I own this mall, and only I can make the decisions here - I don't care if you caught her on tape! My daughter is telling the truth! I can have you fired!" He growled at the phone and quickly ended the call. He sighed angrily before turning around. "Juliet-"

"I'm sorry," I said, eyeing the floor.

He sighed. "You're lucky I was able to get you out of that situation before the cops could arrest you."

I breathed heavily, feeling the tears about to escape my eyes. "I'm really, really sorry."

"Can you please explain to me how this all happened? I know you're not that type of person, so what came over you?"

I glanced over Megan, who was too busy smiling at her phone to stare back at me, but I knew she was still listening. "I was being careless and walked out the store without realizing the scarf was on me."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Excuse me?" Mom said, suddenly a part of the conversation. I hadn't realized she followed me downstairs. She rarely ever went downstairs at the same time as Dad as long as she could avoid it. "Are you implying that my daughter is a liar?"

I couldn't help but remember how she didn't believe me either. She was being completely hypocritical and unfair to Xander, but I know for a fact that she will always defend her loved ones; even if she didn't believe them to be right herself.  

"Of course not! She's my daughter, too," he snapped back.

  "I'll give you that title right after you tell me the story of how you spent nine months in agonizing pain!"  

Megan peered up from her phone, chewing on her bottom lip. 

"I'm telling the truth," I spoke quietly. "I wasn't thinking. It's my fault, so would you please stop fighting? It was just a dumb mistake."