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"Why did you leave?"

"I loved alcoholto her eyes as she stared at me "Every day that I’m sober, I wonder what could have been"

"Dad still wouldn’t have been with you"

"I meant if I’d stayed for you" She offered me a small smile "If I’d raised you If I’d been there for you What would life have been like?"

"You choose a different path"

"I never stopped loving you" She started crying "Every day, I think of you I see your face as a little boy I see you askingblue eyes I screwed up Rhett I love you so much I can’t even stand the pain I’ve caused you The pain I’ve caused o to bed and I pray that I’ll see you again Hold you again" The tears streamed out of her eyes as she sobbed "Do you knohat it’s like to ht I don’t wanna be this person I don’t want to let you down I don’t want you to hate me"

"I don’t hate you" I said softly and in this moment I kneas true I didn’t hate her I’d never hated her I’d been heartbroken, scared, rejected, confused, but I’d never hated her Pitied her, yes, felt bad for herself and for ood boy" She nodded and touched the top of ot a kind heart"

"Not sure how" I joked

"Cleelic It’s only natural that it touched you"

"She hates hed "She hates me"

"She’ll never hate you, Rhett" Her eyes sirl loves you more than life itself"

"I…" My voice cracked and I looked away "I screwed up"

"That’s the beauty about love" Her voice sounded wistful "I rong before, when I told her she was likeYou love her don’t you? You really love her Your face is different when you talk about her She’s in your heart"

"Why…how…" I sighed

"I don’t knohat happened with her, Rhett, but don’t let her get away" She whispered "You’ll regret it for the rest of your life"

"I don’t knohat to do"

"Follow your heart, Rhett"

"I didn’t know I had one until recently"

"It always takes ure it out"

"I’m sorry about dad, I know it must have hurt"

"It’s not for you to be sorry I’o now" I ju and my head full of Clementine "I need to speak to Clementine"

"I know" She licked her lips "And Rhett…" She paused and looked at me with hopeful eyes

"Here," I opened ive you" I pulled the notes out and handed them to her

"No" She shook her head and refused the money "I don’t want it I’ I’"

"Good for youto say?"

"Will you coain?"

"Do you wantI’d like "

"Coed her hard She hugged ainst my chest I rubbed her back and we stood there for ten ainst my chest "I love you so ainst her ear "I promise I’ll be back to see you soon I pro like a completely different man I was ashamed of ht My entire friendship with her had been selfish Cons ofthat Clemmie and Nanna had come to see my mom all these years made me realize just how important I was to both of theht back to a conversation, I’d had with Cleive her virginity to a et that fact when I’d taken her I’d been blind for so s and to irlfriend She’d done everything with e the truth of ot intoher to meet oing to be enough I needed to esture I pulled out my phone and called Nanna

"Nanna, it’s me Rhett"

"Rhett," her voice was cheerful "I’ve been waiting on your call"

"You have?" I knew I sounded surprised

"I’ve been waiting for you to come to your senses"

"What?" My jaw dropped

"I presume that you’ve come to your senses?"

"I love her, Nanna" I whispered

"Yes, so you’ve come to your senses" She sounded pleased "I orried that you were going to be stubborn"

"How long have you known?"

"Clehed "I knew you were in love with her when you were 13"

"What?" My jaw dropped "What are you talking about?"

"A grands, Rhett"