The Keepers of Secrets

Ten | Sneaking Out

Jean's heart dropped down to her feet, her stomach turning and face feeling cold.

This couldn't be.

Ed wouldn't do that. He'd told her Meryl was one of his best friends. That they'd known each other since they were little. He wouldn't kiss her. He wouldn't do that to Jean.

He'd said he loved her!

"Are you sure?" Jean asked, her hand shaky as she held the phone.

"Mhm. They were in Ed's Chrysler. I saw them clear as day when I was walkin' with my sister to her car. We were parked right next to them."

Jean stared at the flowered kitchen wallpaper in disbelief, feeling faint. "You're sure it was Ed? And Meryl? And they were actually kissing?"

"I'm sorry, Jean, but that's what I saw."

"But, he has a brother that looks like him—"

"He had that birthmark on his face, Jean. It was him. I know it was."

Jean's skin felt prickly, her clothes suddenly too tight. "Yes, well, um, thank you," she struggled to say. "I should—I should talk to him."

"I'm real sorry, Jean. My heart stopped when I saw them together. I know how much you adore him, but clearly, he doesn't deserve you."

Her words didn't make her feel any better. "Thank you," she said quickly before hanging up and wrapping her arms around her torso.

She felt like she could lose her dinner at any second, walking back towards her room with weak legs and eyes that looked but didn't see. All her energy had gone straight towards her head, trying to figure out what happened, what went wrong, and if it was all real or not.

"Jean, you okay?" Rudy asked as he passed her to move towards the fridge. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

Instead of answering him, she turned around and walked back to the phone, dialing Ed's number.

"Hello?"

"Meryl Zimmerman," Jean said plainly.

". . . Uh, what about her?" Ed's voice sounded funny.

"Did you kiss her?"

"What? No, I didn't! Who told you that?"

"Someone saw you, then told me."

Eleven seconds ticked by before he gathered the courage to speak. "Well, that's just a lie. Whoever said that was lying. I can't believe you'd believe them."

The phone buzzed when he hung up with her.

She dialed him back.

It connected, then buzzed again.

She dialed him back.

It kept buzzing.

He had his receiver off the hook, blocking her calls from coming through.

She felt even more sick, but that feeling was soon covered by anger.

He had kissed Meryl, she realized. She'd heard it in his voice. She felt it in her bones.