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Julia pulled back, giving Dani a blank look

"I knoe’re doing the coo back to fighting in a second It’s engrained in us I don’t kno to not fight with you now, so you can mock me You can hatethe water "I’ll go visit Kathryn tomorrow Even if she throwsat a stray tear "That’s all I wanted"

"Liar You want ize You want o see Kathryn You don’t want , if you want?"

Julia rolled her eyes "Noho’s being the draroaned "I know that I love you, and I know that we’re sisters, and faht? But sometimes, I truly cannot stand you"

The conversation shifted Dani couldn’t explain how it did, or articulate how she knew it did, but she felt it in her gut Julia wasn’t talking about Kathryn, Mae, or Jake She was talking about the one who used to burn her lasagna

Dani pulled tight on her blanket, twisting the ends in her hands "She would’ve still died if I stayed"

Julia closed her eyes and bent her head

Dani added, "I don’t think anything would’ve changed if I stayed I wouldn’t have helped because it’s how our fao near her sister"

"She’s a coward"

"It’s called stupidity, pride, and just too hosts and secrets between us And we don’t even know half of thehtly--from its hold deep inside of her It hurt, but it hurt less

"It would’ve helped," Julia spoke up "If you had been here It would’ve helped You could’ve been at the funeral That would’ve helped I really wanted you there Even if we hated each other, I wanted my sister beside me"

"For what it’s worth, I wish I had known I would’ve coed a lot" Julia shed even "I know that I do stupid things I clean obsessively, and straighten every pencil in the house, but it’s because I need my world toand seeing you h, I can’t control that I can’t control how much my fiancé still loves you, and I hate that I hate you, but you’re my sister" Her voice dropped She was so quiet now "But I don’t hate you, and I hate that, too"

Fuck it

"I knew Erica was dead because I saw her"

She closed her eyes tight She couldn’t believe she was saying this She hadn’t told anyone, but it was there Erica was there Dani felt her The feel of her never went away

"What?"

"I was in a storm" Her voice was so raw "Before I came back, I alht I was dead, and there were moments when I wished I had died" Those same breaths that ended They were never hers, just those around her "But one night, I thought I was going and then Erica was there"

Julia sucked in some air Her hand lifted, but Dani didn’t look She saw the movement from the corner of her eye