.jpg)
THE BIG LIE
Dale decided walk to clear her head. The sun was still bright as she wandered down Little Pond Road. She hadn’t seen Cliff in over twenty years, yet she could still pick him out of a crowd. He hasn’t changed much. A touch of gray in his hair, maybe. She couldn't forget the way his eyes looked at her, startled at first then a flash of pain. What’s he got to be hurt about? I’m the one who got dumped.
A tightness in her chest reminded her. She was surprised her heart had not healed completely. A tiny ache still pulsed there. She looked across the field, trying to divert her attention from the fact that her heart rate had kicked up the second she laid eyes on him. She had to admit to herself her feelings for Cliff had never died completely. She shook her head, a rueful smile on her lips. I’m just a stupid romantic. He picked someone else. Get over it already. It’s been forever.
Lost in thought, she let her feet guide her. At the bottom of the dead end road, she stopped abruptly. There it was, McCauley’s barn. The ramshackle building had deteriorated since her high school days. Cautiously, she approached, opening the door slowly. The damp, dank smell of rotting hay and horse manure stung her nose. This had been their secret meeting place. They first made out in this rickety old barn. And it was here where she gave Cliff her virginity. Dale sighed, remembering their passionate nights.
Footsteps behind her unleashed adrenaline into her blood as fear pulsed through her body. She turned to face the intruder, a tall man.
“What are you doing here?” He asked.
“I might ask you the same thing, Cliff,” she responded.
RETURN TO TUESDAY TALES
