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She just shook her head and kept on crying "I’ rong He has been hitting me in places that no one could see for years It wasn’t until recently he started losing control and I ended up looking like this It’s just gotten worse and worse"

"Poppy"

She barked out a laugh that was so broken and sharp I literally felt it scratch acrosskids I didn’t want to, not with someone like him Not with a life like this" She tore her hand free and waved it in front of her battered face "This was the result of ain "Jesus has nothing to do with this"

I tucked some of my hair behind my ears and just stared at her in shock for aon"

She lifted a shoulder and let it fall "It’s not exactly so I’m proud of I should be able to do what you did and walk away I’ve known since the first time Oliver raised his hand to me that I was in a bad situation I’ve been there before and I just didn’t learnabout when he saw you?"

"I can’t believe he didn’t tell you all the gory details, considering you two are obviously way closer now than you were back ere kids"

"He told me that it was your story to tell"

A tiny smile that actually had some life in it flirted with her broken rity than any other man I ever met"

"He told me he asked you to marry him and you turned hiht their way out because they bothered me so much to say them

"No, Salem, he didn’t ask nant with the quarterback’s baby and the guy toldpro or ruin his reputation as a squeaky-clean All-Auy smacked me around Roas the only person I felt I could tell about it, and he couldn’t miss the black eyes There was no way I could take him up on the offer--he didn’t really love me or want to marry me--so I told him no, that I loved him like a brother, and then he went and al to save e and the quarterback never even so irl? I felt like I was looking at a stranger in my sister’s body

"Dad was devastated by the breakup with the football star He loved the idea of on to a famous athlete" She made a face "He always said it would help repair the stain that you left on the fauy I was just doing what I always did and going through the motions because that as expected of me That’s how I ended up back in a situation with a man that thinks it’s okay to hurt a woman he supposedly loves I can’t do it any past time"

"You broke Rowdy’s heart, Poppy" I couldn’t help but sound a little accusatory

"Oh, come on, Salem Don’t be ridiculous Rowdy never loved irl because I was never going to be you There was no grand adventure waiting for me There was no risk No unpredictability He couldn’t have loved me because he was in love with you Still is fros"

"What?" I was dumbfounded to hear her say it like it was so obvious

"He never acted like himself with me He was always the ‘church’ version of Rowdy around me With you he was carefree, he was open, and he let hi about as going to happen next And then you left"

I letdown for a second

"And then I left" And left a disaster in my wake for the two people I loved the most

"But you ca seeot to lad you’re here and I will help you shed the chains and anything else you need in order to get away from your life in Loveless, Poppy No one deserves this" She let ht it was time to press my luck "I have a friend that’s a nurse You should letto ask her about filing crih to have that conversation She sighed and pushed so me an answer I don’t think she wanted anyone else to see her like this The shalad I’m here, too, and I think it’s awesome that you found your way back to Rowdy even if it took a really long time"