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He frowned athis cheek "The what?"

"NeverLauren talked about; it’s not important My point is when I went to the hospital for the first tio, I never in a million years expected to see Zach there I never expected to see hiain in my whole life"

The sides of Brody’s jaitched at the mention of Zach’s name, but I didn’t stop It was now or never and I wasn’t about to walk away and leave anything on the table

"Should I have coht ho for a girlfriend to do? Yes Did I do that? No" My voice started to shake but I cleared h this "It was our last week before you started practice and things had just settled down from the whole Kendall-Blaire fiasco I chickened out Selfishly, I just wanted to keep things as smooth as possible between us"

His eyes softened and he opened his mouth to talk, but I wasn’t done yet

"I’m a mama bear, Brody, quick to assu But I ad you sooner, but I was NOT wrong for lying to you I never lied to you; I just " I swiped a tear from my cheek

He walked up to the bars and stood inches from me "You’re not the only one whoand I held ood-bye?

"Pushing you away this past asor not, I can’t tell you how bad I ould’ve had this conversation right away It’s my fault that we didn’t"

"I ould’ve too" I sniffed and rested ainst the bars as the tears ran freely down my cheeks "Can we be done with all this, please? I really need to hug you right now and these damn bars are in my way"

"I’m not done," he said cautiously

"Oh" Deflation washed overthis week, and letinside hed in such a foreign, nervous way that goose bumps covered my skin and , trying desperately to figure out a way to convince the… I’m a total hypocrite"

"A hypocrite?"

"Yeah, think about it My parents are separating I’ive anything, pay anything, do anything for theive it one more try What if it wasn’t their own stupidity but a person who had come in between them? Hoould I feel about that person? I would hate the I didn’t spend it in prison for killing them"

The tiny hairs on the back of , Brody?"

"I love your girls, Kacie I can only pray that the way I feel about them is the way I’ll feel aboutin the world I would ever want is for them to hate me or resent me in ten years because they think I came in between their rew red "As sick as itto step back and let you figure this out with hio of the bars "Are you serious?" I asked, struggling for a full breath

"I aether and sed hard

As quickly as the confusion took over er in its wake I stepped back and started pacing the length of the cell as I scratched my head I didn’t look at Brody, but I knew his eyes were following me I could feel them

"Kacie, talk to me," he uttered slowly

I spun on my heel to face him "Do you love me?"