page9 (1/2)

Caroline nods in understanding

So

"I'et a chance to talkwith everything that happened last night"

She reaches her hand across the table and takes hold ofhorrific No one can ever knohat that feels like But I'ladhave each other"

"If you ever need to talk about it," I say to her candidly While I can't ever let her know the identity of her rapist, I can offer her everything else under the sun if it will help her

She nods "Same here"

We both s the tentative friendship we first foro is now infinitely stronger by the bondshare

"But getting back to inal question," Caroline says wisely--and by that I ivesup?"

I reach forof my hand, but it won't cooperate and Caroline notices I take a small sip, set it down, and clear uilt or vindication," I tell her truthfully

"I'est vindication," she says pertly And if there's one thing I can be happy about, it's that I've avenged Caroline although she'll never know it

"For the longest time, I felt it wasCaroline will understand I'h Caroline and I have not coood idea of the eh, and I bet she feels the same

"Yes," she says with a sad s what I could have done to avoid it"

"It hauntedtime"

"Me, not so long," she says matter-of-factly "Beck wouldn't let me, and I made peace with it, especially after Ally was born She was so so bad, I had to believe that it was supposed to happen because I was supposed to have her"

I duckmy napkin onup with tears brought on by such a well-balanced and loving perspective When I have myself under control, I look back up at her to find her staring atand empathy

Empathy that perhaps I didn't find peace as easily as she did

"You know inal intention was to kill JT," I say as I lean forward across the table and lowerto torture hi to shoot him between the eyes"

She blinks at me in surprise

I nod "Months ago, when I learned his identityI had plotted to murder him"

"Oh ," she mutters in dismay, but leans toward me to hear more

"I had a gun into entrance hi to kill him Simple as that"

"But nothing is ever that simple," she hypothesizes

I give a short laugh "Exactly Beck North intercepted me and then sidetracked me, and then eventually made me realize it wasn't the way"

"Well, I'reat he is," she chuckles

"No, I think I do," I say urgently as I bend in closer and whisper "He's out right now, disposing of o on, Caroline I need to go to the cops and confess what I did Beck has been protecting erous Risky I can't let him put himself out there for me like that"

Caroline leans back, crosses her arms over her stomach, and examines me in a shrewd manner "You love my brother?"

"More than anything," I breathe out in affirmation

"Then you should trust in him," she says simply, and then winks at me