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“You’re the one leaving”
“I don’t have a choice!” he nearly shouted and she flinched
“Everyone has a choice, Jesse You can either choose to stay or to go”
He laughed bitter and angry “Well, I’ to do then, Julia? Where will you go? Where will you live? With Agnes and Ron?”
Her heart stopped before resurging She felt her face go hot An answering anger built in her
“It’s not your problem It’s not your business”
“It isin my house”
His words crushed her That’s all she was to him, all she’d ever been Another one of Mitch’s mistakes he had to deal with Another mess he had to clean up
“I’irl you slept with You are free from worry”
He took a step toward her, his face dark and cloudy with eer for a thousand lovesick and heartbroken wohteousness didn’t stand a chance “How much money do you have?”
Why did everything in her life come to money? “None of your business”
“You’re getting paid ht?”
“I nant, like Amanda, even to her own ears
“To what, eight bucks an hour?”
“I’ to talk—” She turned, ready to walk back to her napping son and the sweet relief of tears, but Jesse slid his hand down her arm, almost like a caress
“Let ive you some money”
She jerked her elbow out of his grasp “Not on your life”
“You can stay in this house”
She laughed until she hurt Was he really that blind to her pride?