All of it had been an arrangement of lies carefully stacked to make room for Olivia.
“What happened after she called your mother?” I asked.
Daniel’s mouth tightened. “Mom called me. I came here. I found her on the kitchen floor.”
My knees nearly gave.
“Was she hurt?”
“She was dehydrated. Weak. Her blood pressure was low. She had bruises from dragging herself around. But mostly she was quiet.”
Quiet.
That was what broke me most.
Lauren had always gone quiet when pain became too large. Not because she had nothing to say, but because she believed words should not be wasted on people determined not to hear them.
