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“We’re doing this together?” I sounded stunned

I hadn’t gotten any sleep since he awakened me My eyes burned I needed coffee

“We need to start looking for hiest?”

He turned out of the airport and onto the road that took us to the beach It was a forty-five-minute drive to where Garrett had moved But I hadn’t seen his new place I didn’t knohere he worked I didn’t know the guys he hung around with

The guilt ate away atabout his daily life And this was the time I needed that information the most

I stared out theas the sports car clie I looked down below at the sailboats in the ray dreary day The kind that made me want to curl under the covers and sleep until the clouds passed A day I’don crosswords A day we could lock ourselves away from the reality of my family

I wish I kne to do that How to build a wall around the cracks in my heart to spareclaws that wanted to drag me down into depths I couldn’t escape I was so lost in it until I hn He un-broke me

And it never felt ht now

Our ured out how to live with a new focus A new goal One that didn’t include Garrett’s vices and the stain he had smeared on my choices Every one had been for him I had sacrificed so hn, no one had looked out forout of my life

Finding sohn had inexplicably put ether when I hadn’t asked for it He knew I needed it before I did

My phone rang

“If that’s yourcare of this” My father’s voice was gruff

It was Mom I tucked the phone close to my ear

“Hello”

“Honey, are you here? Are you co to the house?” One word piled on the next