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Lina sighed dra for me outside—”

“You’re dating a boy named Jet?”

“Are you gonna talk or not? Otherwise—”

“I e” Madelaine tried to sot pregnant and he … he couldn’t leave town fast enough”

Lina’s blue eyes narrowed “Did you ever hear froain?”

Madelaine tried not to re she’d waited for a phone call, a letter, an

ything Tried to forget how she’d cried every Christmas for years afterward “No”

“What’s his name?”

Madelaine knew this was the question that would ruin it all NoIf she lied, Lina would hate her, and if she answered truthfully, Lina would contact her father Only he wasn’t the kind of hter” call—if he’d wanted to know his child, he wouldn’t have left in the first place

If Lina found hih—anything that meant he didn’t care—would kill Lina

“Well?” Lina demanded

Madelaine knew she had no choice; this was soo But she couldn’t just throw his name out there Madelaine had to speak to hiht of picking up the phone and calling hie everything God help us all “I can’t tell you his naht now, but—”

“Don’t” Lina jerked to her feet and kicked the chair away

“Let ht now But I’ll …” It took everything she had inside to form her next words “I’ll contact him and tell him about you”

Lina’s eyes widened A tiny smile plucked at her mouth “You mean he doesn’t know about me?”