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“Unbelievable,” Mark said finally “Get in the house, Cecilia We’ll discuss this privately And you,” he yelled at Noah, “you will never see her again, you understand me?”

“Daddy,” Cissy said, surging forward “It was my idea I talked him into it Please, don’t—”

“In the house,” he said “Now”

“Mark,” Winona said, “certainly it was poor judgment, but—”

“Are you insane? Poor judg your class when you forgot about a test This was dangerous and it’s his fault Cissy,” he said firet the hell off my land” He looked at Vivi Ann “I’hter” On that, he turned and walked into his big new house, herding his sobbing daughter in front of him The door slammed shut behind him

“Well,” Aurora said, “he was pleasant”

“Shut up, Aurora,” Winona snapped To Noah, she said, “What in the hell were you thinking? And how could you lie to me all summer? I trusted you I told Mark Cissy was safe with you”

“I would never hurt Cissy,” Noah answered stubbornly

Vivi Ann recognized the look on his face: he was hunkering down e to deflect every word hurled at hiet past that aro home”

She didn’t bother saying goodbye to her sisters, or even thank you She was too drained, and too scared, to expend any y than was absolutely necessary The worst part was how disappointed she felt, and how stupid

“Say so like Mark?”

“Would you rather I yelled at you?”

He shrugged “Whatever”

“Let’s not go there, okay? You know I hate it when you act like you don’t care We both know that’s not really your problem”

“No, it’s yours”