Lies, Lies, Lies!

Another contribution to the "Romantic Friday Writers" Challenge, where contributors offer 400 words on a specific subject.

This week my excerpt (392 words!) is from 'Fragrance of Violets'.  I've just heard from Whiskey Creek Press that it's scheduled for release in February 2012. 

Abbey is furious when she discovers something Jack hasn't told her, and calls him.

“When were you going to tell me, Jack?  Or maybe I should call you John.   The famous, best-selling John Tyson.”

There was silence.

“Who told you?” he said eventually. 

“That doesn’t matter.  What matters is that it wasn’t you.”

“Abbey, I can explain –”

“Oh, I’m sure you can.”  The anger flared inside her.  “I’m sure there were very good reasons why you turned me down.  You obviously think Marsha Hewitt is a better actress than me.  So good luck with her.”

“Actually I don’t but –”

“But what?”  Her eyes widened.  “Oh, right, I get it.  So it was your way of getting your own back, was it?  I rejected you ten years ago, so now it was your turn to reject me.”

“You know I’m not like that, but there were various reasons –”

“Oh yes, of course.  Just as there were probably various reasons why you didn’t tell me you were the author.  You built our whole relationship on a lie.”

“I’ve never lied, Abbey.”

“You didn’t tell me the truth.  It’s the same thing,” she snapped.  “Did you think I’d never find out?”

“No, I was going to tell you –”

“I’d really started to think you were different”

There was a moment’s silence. 

“Different from your father, you mean.”

“This has nothing to do with him.”  Abbey clenched her hand tightly round her phone.  “This is you.  You’re no different than every other lying, deceitful bastard.”        

“I understand that you feel let down, betrayed, whatever, but if you’d just listen to my reasons –”

“Reasons?”  She spat the word out.  “Reasons are excuses and excuses are usually lies.  Reasons don’t matter.”

“Yes, they do, that’s what I’m trying to tell you.  I know your father’s reasons turned out to be lies, but it doesn’t mean every man is going to lie to you or let you down.”

“No?  How can I believe that when I find out about all this?  Not just that it was you who turned me down for the Maggie Rycroft part – but all the time while we were sorting out what happened ten years ago, you were hiding this from me.  I thought I could trust you –”

“And now you’re damning me out of hand without giving me a chance to explain anything.”

“There’s nothing to explain.  The facts speak for themselves.”