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I nod. “I have things I need to say too.”
“Before we continue…” Ev pries one of my hands free from the chair and holds it in his as I turn and look at it. “I need to tell you something because I don’t ever want you to think I’ve hidden anything from you.”
A choked sound comes from somewhere around the table, but I keep my eyes on Ev’s, worried about what he might say.
“Last night, when you were sleeping, I did some digging. I’d already started, but when you went missing, it was put on the back burner while I was looking for you.”
I nod. I expected that.
“I’ve covered my digital footprint the best I can. I’m good, so I’m not worried, but there is always someone out there better. There is always a risk when we delve into things people have spent a lot of time and money hiding.”
“I get it, Ev. I trust you.” Another choking sound. “I don’t think you’d willingly throw me to the wolves.”
“Never.” He smiles at me before sitting up a little straighter.
“My digging turned up your real identity.”
I freeze, feeling my face pale.
“Hey, don’t panic. Nobody in this room would ever reveal what we know.”
I look around warily and nod.
“I know that putting your faith in us right now seems like the worst idea, but with this, you can trust us, Avery. We would never put you in danger,” Creed says.
Truth
I look at him, his earnest eyes boring into mine, before I blow out a breath. “Okay.”
“You didn’t tell us because you were told not to reveal who you really were, right?” Hawk asks, taking his seat back at the table.
“The marshals that came for me were really adamant about it. They told everyone I had gone to live with distant relatives in Canada, but really, they changed my name and gave me a whole new identity and moved me to Texas. I was placed with a foster family for a few weeks, but then the marshal came and took me to a group home and told me that’s where I’d stay until I aged out.”
Zig frowns at me. “Did he tell you why they were moving you?”
“He made it seem like the family couldn’t cope with my nightmares and stuff, but they were nice to me, so I don’t know. A lot’s a blur from back then.”
“I’m sure it is. How old were you?”
“Fifteen.”
“How old were you when you realized you were gifted?”
I turn my head at the sound of Wilder’s voice. I shrug. “It’s hard to say for sure, but once I knew the difference between a truth and a lie, I knew when someone was fibbing. The problem was I thought everyone could tell, so I had no idea I was different. I was always getting into trouble. I was so frustrated that people couldn’t just say what they meant, and… I’d get angry.”
“Violent?” Oz asks.
“No. I was a kid. I’d storm out of rooms, slam doors, yell at my stuffed toys—that kind of thing. As I got older, I realized I was special and found it easier because I could hide that part of me.”
“That had to be hard,” Ev says gently.
“No, hiding was the easy part. Pretending I wasn’t affected by it was something else altogether. I knew when my teachers disliked me or friends lied about inviting me over. Small stuff, I realize now, but it hurt a lot as a kid. I always felt like an outsider. The only people who knew what I could do were my mom and dad, and I think that’s why they kept their distance from me. I had a nanny who couldn’t speak English, so I could never tell if she was lying or not. And a cook and a maid came every day. I had everything I needed.”
“Except love,” Greg replies.
I briefly look at Hawk and Creed before looking away.
“It must be hard to love someone who can hear every lie you tell, even if it’s a white lie designed not to hurt their feelings. They would tell me I was a good dancer, but I knew they were lying. They said they were proud of me when I managed to pull my math grade up from a C to a B, but my dad lied. He was disappointed, and he couldn’t hide it even though he tried. Then one day, my mom asked him if he was having an affair, and he said no. He looked me in the eye as he said it, knowing I knew the truth.”
