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“She protected you,” he replied

“Yep” I nodded “Too bad she was such a bitch every other moment of her life, or we probably would’ve been closer”

Mack let out a surprised chuckle

“I’ “And I’d do the same for her, but it doesn’t excuse all the other stuff”

“Can you get outta there now?” Mack asked abruptly “I’m sorry—it’s just really fuckin’ with me”

“It’s getting cold, anyway,” I replied, reaching behind ot to our feet, Mack shuddered

“That sound,” he said, shaking his head “Jesus”

I stepped over the lip of the tub and wrappedwater everywhere I closed ent as he heldcertainty, I knew that the o back to exactly as they’d been

We hadn’t fixed anything I loved Mack and I knew he lovedin e the situation ere in I’d thought it over, so to convince ive up babies if that meant I had Mack

The reality was, I couldn’t I wanted to be a hted, but it was the truth I wanted to raise Kara and give her brothers and sisters, and Mack would never giveit out would only s worse for everyone in the end

A couplewith the decision I’d made

I knew that I was being a miserable human No one wanted to be around me I snapped at my faone froenerally just horrible coo back to my norry Angry with ry with Mack for not wanting children with ry with fate that I’d fallen in love with a ht for me

There was a part of me, deep down inside, that was also embarrassed How did I tell people that the man I’d fallen in love with didn’t want to have children with me? That he didn’t even trust me with the child he already had? Whenwhat had happened, I’d frozen When I’d finally gottensomeone else and rushed off before she could ask , but the lie had seemed so much simpler than the truth

I hadn’t seen Mack in almost a month It had taken some serious dedication and reconnaissance, but I’d been able to successfully avoid hi his face I hated that I didn’t know if his hair had gotten longer, or if he’d tri Kara around in the Mustang now that the weather was shitty, but I’d never seen him do it Mack behind the wheel of ait

I hated that I didn’t knoas going on with Kara That I had to accidentally drop by at the same time that she was over at my brother’s or aunt’s houses, just to be able to see her at all I hated that we’d just spent Thanksgiving apart, and I’d been weak enough to anshen he’d called to wishthe weekend with his parents

He’d called me at least once a week since the day of Charlie’s birthday, just to check in and see hoas I understood it I knew that he loved me, and the separation was as hard for hi the calls

I couldn’t keep that connection any me I barely slept I’d lost twenty pounds becauseforward—I was stuck

“Rose,” Lily snapped,me drop my phone to my lap “I asked if you could pick up Gray for rab him from school”

“Sure,” I said, shooting her a sotten herself into?”

“No, I still don’t know anything,” she shook her head “But Trix heard froo”