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Well, hot daone and so was the dog I figured she had run back to her own place to get ready for work and to check in on Poppy There were a lot of aweso a tattoo artist One of my favorites was that I didn’t have to be to work until noon if I didn’t want to be I tookaround the apartetting dressed and was pulling on my boots when there was a knock on the door I assuht and almost fell over when I pulled it open and saw the other Cruz sister standing there

"Poppy?"

She looked up at me with her black-and-blue eyes and I wanted to throttle whoever it was that had hurt her

"I ondering if I could come in and talk to you really fast?"

That sounded like a terrible idea but I couldn’t think of a reason to say no to her, so I stepped aside and she entered ht jump out and attack her at any minute

"I assume Salem knows you’re here since you knohere I live"

I closed the door and leaned back against it with my arether as she paced back and forth in front of me

"I told her I had to talk to you one-on-one I don’t think she was happy about it but she gave et here She’s really crazy about you, you know?"

"I would rather not talk about my love life with you, Poppy Why are you here?" I wasn’t sure if I meant here in Denver or here in my house, but she elcome to answer for either one

She moved her hair behind her ears in a way that was so similar to her sister but came across as timid and nervous and not sexy and confident like when Saley, Rowdyand so much more" She let her hands drop to her sides and she faced me steadily "You were so nice to ood intentions"

"I thought I loved you" It was the first time I had ad about that froo

"I know you did but you were the only one"

I snorted and pushed off the door "How did you knoas fooling myself?"

She tilted her head and a sad smile pulled at her mouth "I lived in the same house as Saleht you to life and I was there when she left and you latched on to ht I was safe, that I was boring and never going to change, but couy’s safe bet? You never tried to holdwith every single girlfriend I had The signs were pretty clear"

I pushed otten around to putting any goop in it yet

"I followed you to college, Poppy That had to " I didn’t know if I said it to convince her or hed and moved toward me a couple steps "I was your security blanket and you were mine You didn’t have anyone else to hold on to and I was scared to try and be sohter Looking back, I should’ve fought you, should have told you to cut loose and go to art school like I’m sure Saleripped ave it a squeeze "I don’t knohat I would have done if you hadn’t been there when I got pregnant, Rowdy You were the only person that didn’t ivable sin" I saw tears well up in her eyes "Thank you for trying to protecther She needed soo back hoo live life and find soht back where you started fro intodifferent I didn’t kno to do anything I was always just this little puppet, this perfect daughter honed in my father’s brimstone and fire I went back to what felt doable and coot me"

"Salem would have helped you out of it Fuck, so would I if you had calledwith the force of her sobbing

"I thought I deserved all of it I thought it wasa good girl I had sex before gettingwas happening to show me I needed to be better and follow Dad’s orders even ht God hated me and this was the result The first tiht I h for my sins I really, truly believed he was the kind of man I was supposed to be with--that is, what my life was supposed to look like"

"Jesus, Poppy" All I could do was shake my head "We’re all sinners in some way or another No one should have to bear that kind of burden"

"My dad saw my face, he could see the bruises I know that he kneas happening and he never did anything to stop it or tried to intervene on my behalf He’s a et beat at the hands of atime he must believe it hat I deserved as well"

It was just more reason to hate the man that had forced Salem to run "What turned it around for you?"

She pulled back and looked up at me all bruised and tearstained and I realized I did in fact love her with all ofand very platonic way She lovedthat I loved her as a sister in return

"A bunch of different things But the fact that Salem found her way back to you and sounded happy, really truly happy in a way that has beenpart of it I realized that ti forward for everyone no ht have happened in between I’ve done ht haveto be perfect and I’ain"