False Pretenses - Kathy Herman [58]
Zoe studied Vanessa’s expression and saw only compassion. If she made it through this alive, and Pierce left her and Zoe B’s went bankrupt, at least she would have one friend in town who didn’t abandon her.
CHAPTER 18
Zoe lay in bed, listening to the click click click of the ceiling fan and the drip drip drip of condensation trickling down the eaves and onto the barbecue grill outside her window. She’d already taken one of the muscle relaxants the doctor had prescribed Pierce for his occasional bouts with back pain. Why didn’t she feel any more relaxed? She glanced over at the clock: 11:04. How much longer until Pierce would be home and she would have to tell him that the Zoe Benoit he married was a fabrication—a fraud?
How would he react when he realized she had deceived him, that her given name was Shelby Sieger, and that she was the daughter of a pathetically passive mother—and an alcoholic father, who abused her and whose only French relative was the murdering thief who had married his cousin?
Would it matter to Pierce that she truly loved him? Or would he believe even that now? Could he comprehend that she never had the courage to reveal the truth about herself, or how she acquired Zoe B’s, because she was afraid of losing him?
Vanessa’s advice echoed in her head. God hasn’t abandoned you, Zoe. He just wants you to come to Him and admit the truth. He’ll forgive you, if you ask Him. That’s really where you need to start.
Zoe slid out of bed and onto her knees, her hands folded, all too aware that Vanessa’s assurance that God would forgive her didn’t include any encouragement about Pierce.
God, I’m sorry for everything—for stealing, for lying, for deceiving everyone, especially Pierce. I know I don’t deserve it, but please forgive me. Help me know what to say to Pierce so he’ll at least understand why I—
She heard the key in the lock and the front door open. Fear seized her. She climbed back in bed and hugged her pillow, as if that could somehow muffle the sound of her thumping heart.
Pierce’s footsteps moved down the hall toward the bedroom. In a few minutes, life as she had known it would cease to be. And unless she did exactly as Shapiro had instructed her, so would she.
Vanessa lay in Ethan’s arms, her mind racing faster than her pulse. The neon lights were still flashing along rue Madeline, but the band at Breaux’s had stopped playing. She heard a door open at the Broussards’ a few minutes ago, and now water was running in the bathroom. She didn’t hear voices.
“Honey, try to relax,” Ethan said. “You did everything you could.”
“I should’ve offered to pray with her.”
“Zoe knows how to pray.” Ethan pulled her closer. “Nothing’s going to change in her life until she tells the truth—to herself, to God, and to Pierce. Let’s hope that’s what she’s doing.”
“I can see why she’s concerned about Pierce’s reaction. I remember that day out at the manor house when he went off about the plight of the Acadians. It’s obvious his heritage is incredibly important to him. Maybe Zoe’s right. Maybe part of his attraction to her is the fact that he thought she was Cajun too. Maybe he’ll never forgive her for lying to him about that.”
“Maybe not,” Ethan said. “But her only way out of this pit is to tell the truth. I’m sure she realizes that, since she gave you permission to tell me everything.”
Vanessa sighed. “I can only imagine how horrible it would be to have a sexually abusive father.”
“Are you sure she’s not lying about it to get sympathy?”
“As positive as I can be. It was very hard for her to talk about it, and I doubt she could fake blushing. But her pain seemed real to me. My parents are so wonderful that it’s hard to relate to her violent upbringing. She refers to herself as white trash. The shame goes really deep.”
“It certainly would explain why she felt safe with Mrs. Woodmore for so long. And how she justified stealing the ring in order to achieve independence. Do you think she was sorry for lying? Or just sorry she got caught?