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He s else?" I whisper

"Anything"

"Did you love her? I mean, really love her?" I pause and runa deep breath "MyTo hear that she had a secret lover, it da insidethe person that did so wrong but sometimes it’s hard not to Maybe,me off "I kno it must look, how itin each other A connection, a bond, an everlasting love that was hard to stay away froed my life I would have spent the rest of mine by her side if she hadn’t disappeared I can’t tell you e did was right--it wasn’t--but I can tell you that I loved her frohter, and to this day, I still love her The reality is, I’ll never stop Not until the day I die"

I reach out and take his tre hand "I know she loved you too"

"How could you possibly know that?" he rasps

I s away from him Before I leave, I look back over ood person She believed in family and she believed in love She would have never risked so much for someone she didn’t love"

"Goodbye, Avery," he says to my back as I walk off

Finally, a little piece of my heart has been put back into place

CHAPTER 34

AVERY

It’s been teeks since we buried my mother, and in that time I’ve not heard from Nate I’ve not seen hione about with my life as normally as possible I take each day as I can, one baby step at a tiht, and then I face a new day when I need to It works, it keepsinto the black hole that is trying so hard to consumeat it That voice is faet off the couch--the place where I spendit open to face Lena I’m shocked and for a second I just stare at her The first thought that pops into my mind is coood Her black hair is loose around her shoulders and her eyes are quite bright Brighter than they were the last time I saw her

"Lena?" I say, my voice laced with confusion

She stares athard Then her hand lashes out and she hits me so hard in the mouth my lip splits I cry out and take two steps backwards, shocked

"Stay away fro her fists "You think I don’t know? You think I don’t know e on his phone weeks ago I’ for me but he doesn’t want to be there It’s because of you"