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"Jay!" the little girl’s voice squealed, interrupting the up, Violet saw Cassidy perched atop the tall slide, her arer!" she announced proudly
As if their actions were synchronized, they both ju toward the laddered steps as Violet rushed to reach the bottom of the slide
"Coirl’s eyes narrowed obstinately, her voice so deter Violet how little she really was "No Jay can catch et down"
Cassidy turned to see Jay, as almost to the top of the ladder, and then she turned back to Violet, her expression changing dra quality of her voice was frantically enthusiastic This was definitely a galed and leaned forward, launching herself down the slide She went fastfaster than Violet had expected the tiny three-year-old to go, alreased
By the ti like some sort of missile bent on a path of destruction And when she collided against Violet’s chest, Violet gasped sharply frohtly around her cousin, she heard herself scolding her "You can’t do that, Cassyou scared otten hurt"
And as she said the words, she heard them in her own head, repeated back to herin herherself awake as she realized she’d fallen asleep on the couch The television flickered through the dark room Her dad one up to bed because there was no sound colad he’d stayed up with her Even though she didn’t always agree with her parents, she could count on her dad to be the voice of reason
"Do you hate us?" her dad had asked when he’d joined her on the couch while she’d absently flipped through the channels
Still trying to ignore him, Violet shook her head "Nope Not hate," she’d answered "Just" She shrugged What? she wondered Frustrated? Irritated? Sad? "I don’t know, pissed, I guess"
Her dad e, but he’d asked, "At us?"
Violet turned to look at hi his question "Well, yeah But not just at you At everything, I guess I really don’t wanna talk about it, if that’s okay"
He’d patted her knee but stayed where he was, quietly staring at the screen After a moment, he said, "You can be mad, Vi At me, and your momat whatever you want Just don’t stay that way Hate and anger are tough ehed It was so hard to stay mad at her dad, and after a few ainst his shoulder "I wish you’d trust me to decide if I should stay on Sara’s tea on top of hers "I know you don’t understand this now, but sometimes you need to trust us to make the best decisions for you"
They’d stayed there like that, the silence stretching, until finally he patted her knee, calling a truce and changing the subject "Are you sure you don’t want to coht? Aunt Kat’stacos I know you like tacos"
Violet shook her head "No thanks I’onna see if Jay wants to coether "Are you sure you’re okay, Vi? Anything I should be worried about?"
Violet exhaled noisily and stretched her legs "Nope I really don’t feel like being social" She squeezed her hands, ain "But mostly I’m just exhausted"
Chapter 20
VIOLET GLANCED DOWN AT THE PIECE OF PAPER Sara had ripped from her notebook just before she’d left the hospital, just a scrapwith an address scribbled on it Sara’s address Rafe’s address
The huge brick-and-steel building she stood in front of was just blocks from Chinatown and definitely wasn’t the kind of place she’d expected to find when she got there She chewed on the side of her finger, rethinking her decision to come here at all Maybe it would’ve been better if she stayed away fro the way she’d itched to reach across the sheets that day at the hospital, and she wondered if it hadn’t been more than just concern over an injured friend
Her thu over the buzzer as she tried to decide, part of her wanting to stay, part of her wanting to flee, when she saw Rafe pushing open the entrance to the building, an ilass
"Hey," she said, suddenly feeling self-conscious about showing up without calling first "How did you knoas here?"
Rafe studied her, and a part of her expected hiot was far less interesting "I had to get up and stretch ood for anyone to stay in bed that long I saw your car when I was looking out the "