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I fought back the tears “She wouldn’t ever wear it again, and I couldn’t ony of all her things sitting there was drivingaway” I looked up at hih the sheen of emotion in his eyes, I saw the vision of ht me “That’s when Mom walked in There was no buildup No questions She … she just slappedof those hits “I was so stunned, all I could do was cower on the floor as she kept hittingthat God took the wrong daughter That it was my fault and she’d wished God had taken me instead” The last word broke out in a sob, and I heard the screech of a chair over the floor seconds before Michael’s arms pulled th, as if I could so so, he’d draw out some of the pain and relieve me of it

His arht around me and he pressed his lips to ht I’d cried out of o

Sometime later, with my head

hurting a little, I sat on Michael’s couch with a fresh cup of coffee and a used tissue crumpled in my hand

I tried not to notice Michael’s proxi at me like he was ready to take a bullet forat the same time to see how my story had transformed him back into my old Michael

“So that’s when you started drinking?” His voice was soft, coaxing

Nodding, I took a sip of coffee before responding “That night I wanted to disappear I was too ashaht if I told my dad, I’d only , that she didn’t et to sleep that night, I stole the gin inhurt less when I was nu”

“I remember” He rubbed a hand over his face “I was so fuckin’ scared Didn’t kno to help you”

Flinching as I reh, I turned away “Dad was scared too Like you, he thought it was only about Dillon That’s when his sister, who lived in Hartwell, reached out to hiift shop on the boardwalk, and he convinced her to let o because I couldn’t bear to be around my mother, but I promised him he couldn’t tell anyone where I was”

“That’s the part I don’t get”

Meeting his gaze, seeing the betrayal in his eyes, was difficult “I hated myself, Michael I was responsible forso I could sleep at night, and I’d pushed everyone I loved away You deserved better”

“I deserved the truth”

I shook ht leaving you was the best thing for you”

Seeing that I wasn’t getting through to hiotten