Page 73 - TruthAboutLyingFinal

Nicholas Boothman
Henry reached for the control. Vincent held up a hand.
“No.”
He closed his eyes.
“I believe in God,” he said.
The line went green.
The room stayed silent.
Then Vincent opened his eyes, wet and furious.
“I believe in God,” he said again, “and I hate Him.” The line stayed green.
Claire, who had volunteered against Henry’s wishes, discovered she was not angry at him in the way she thought.
She was angry at the time.
The years lost. The mother they had not known how to survive. The brother who had hidden behind charm until honesty arrived too late to be young.
Forgiving Henry would mean admitting how much she had wanted him back.
She was not ready.
After her session, they sat in Jinji’s living room with the truth hanging in the air like smoke.
“Well,” Jinji said finally. “That was awful.”
Vincent sat with both hands around a chipped mug. “Necessary,” he said.
Claire gave him a look. “Don’t make it holy.”
“I wasn’t.”
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