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I take a step in the roo to move past him but he stops me with a hand toa finger over , you’re going to shower"
I nod, too weak to argue
"I have some clothes you can borrow Coer one, and he leads ot an older-style shoith lilass door The towels match the tiles in a really, really bad way Nate watches oing to be okay?"
I nod, not liftingin closer and putting his hands on either side ofme to look up at hiht about her, Nate If they’re right about her then everything I ever believed rong," I croak
He runs his thumb over a tear that slips out "Your perception of soed if you let it"
I closemy cheek into his hand
"Shower, honey," he murmurs "Then we’ll talk"
He drops his hands and turns, leaving rateful for hirateful
~~~~
NATE
She looks like hell She’s sitting on ot her knees tucked up to her chest, her arms firmly wrapped around them Her hair is damp still and she hasn’t yet brushed it, so it matts around her face Even like this, she’s still breathtakingly beautiful
"Tell me what happened," I say, my voice as affectionate as I can ins talking in a low, soft tone "Max said they found another lead He said there was a hotel owner that caave them the name of a man who used to stay there often This man was seen with my mother a few times Max contacted him and he said" She takes a shaky breath "He said they were having an affair, that they were going to run away together but she suddenly wentfor her
She begins to cry again, her tiny body shaking "It can’t be right, Nate She was so pure, so perfect She loved us, loved hter How could she have been having an affair when she was so happy?"
"People can pretend," I say carefully "A smile can cover sodown her cheeks "But her s I just can’t believe it wasn’t right I can’t sleep at night thinking shebehind it"
"Whatever was happening between your father and your mother wouldn’t take away froave you, the happiness she shared with you--that was all real, Avery"
"Hoould you know?" she croaks
"Because I give Macy the sive her everything I don’t give Lena"
She stares atmy face "Can you tell me she was truly happy? That is was possible for it to have been real?"