Be Honest
A Story Every Day in 2024 Nov 10th 315/366
Dave thought about Bethan's question. Could he be honest? Yes, he could but he wasn't prepared for the fallout from that grenade and the damage that it could do him. Not a chance. Could he give her pieces of honesty? Yes, he could. There were things he could tell her that would give her bits of the picture he wanted her to see.
He had a moment where he was struck with how futile this all was, trying to prevent the truth coming out. But he convinced himself that there was a chance for damage limitation, if he could only play this right. After all, he'd kept another life secret for how long? Years? And neither Bethan nor Christine had known anything about it.
He could handle this too, he was sure.
But he never got the chance.
The woods were beginning to thin a little and the path to widen. Ahead of Bethan and Dave was the start of open fields, grassy expanses on the sides of hills, hills riddled with stone.
As the landscape opened up, Bethan breathed in the view and launched herself into the moment. Like Dave, she could deliver emotive arrows with sharp tips when required.
"I know about the camera," she ventured, still slightly behind him. It had not been her plan to mention it but being out in the open now, rather than the closeted mustiness of the woods had made her feel brave. Perhaps it was as simple as being seen. What could hurt her here?
Dave's worst suspicions were confirmed but he didn't want to let Bethan know that he'd read her texts to his daughter. Could he play dumb about his knowledge of the camera? There was a lot of power in denial.
But again, Bethan beat him to the punch. Before he had a chance to utter anything, she said, "I know who sent the photos. Remember I asked you for the boys' names?"
He did remember. It was that call from Bethan that had started this whole chain of events and the squirming angst of discovery.
Bethan's last question was the killer:
"How did you get it, Dave? How did you get Laney's camera?"
***
366 words
How will Dave respond?
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Into the Woods
It felt strange for both of them, walking together like this. The years where they were one floated around them, like a ghostly wraith, its presence discernible but never quite fully grasped. Anybody watching them as they set off along the path would sense that they were not strangers but could not mistake the estrangement lumbering along with them, shown in the space between each other and the rigidity in their postures.
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in Fiction
Comments (11)
There’s really no great way for this go for Dave. He admits he found it at the quarry, she questions why it was at the quarry, the hell does he say? Oh a twisted web of lies. Hurts.
Confession time, Dave!
The "killer" question, huh? Time will tell.
Excellent question!
Yes, how did you get it Dave? Enlighten us
Snakes don't turn into doves.
More secrets to come? Is Bethan safe?
Oh I’m sure he will wriggle out if it!
That’ll be a tough one to wiggle out of, that’s for sure!
That’s what I want to know, too! Oh, the suspense, Rachel!
Yeah, Dave. Tell her.