Rhys drained the last of his coffee.“It was a long holiday.I’m still catching up.”
Jillian didn’t argue.She just waited a moment before adding, “It’s Cat, isn’t it?”
He stiffened.“What makes you say that?”
“She left because of me,” Jillian said quietly.“Because of what I asked her.I said I didn’t want everything to change.I thought if she went home, things would go back to normal.”She swallowed hard.“But they haven’t.Roger and Mum are still together and you… you’re just sad all the time.”
“I’m not sad.”
“You’re not happy.”
Rhys exhaled.“I just need time.”
“Or maybe you need to go see her and work things out.”
He rubbed at his temple.“It doesn’t work like that.”
“Why not?Because she loved us, Dad.And I think—I know—she loved you too.”
Rhys’s breath caught.He looked at his daughter—the honesty in her eyes, the courage of it—and something inside him cracked wide open.
Jillian brushed at her eyes with the back of her hand.“I made her promise she’d leave you alone because I was scared.But I shouldn’t have asked her to promise me that.I shouldn’t have interfered.”
“You were trying to protect me, love, that’s all.”
“No.I was trying to protectme.”Jillian went to her dad and hugged him hard.“At least call her sometime.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Dad.”
He kissed her.“I have to go.Do well on your quiz.”
“I always do.But call her,” she urged even as she feared he wouldn’t.
*
The hallways atWinthrop Academy had emptied an hour ago, leaving the building wrapped in the soft winter quiet Cat had come to appreciate, the low hum of the heater, the tap-tap of melting snow from boots left by the door, the muted tick of the wall clock above her desk.She was halfway through marking her last Latin quiz when the classroom door creaked open.
“Did you forget something?”she asked automatically, not looking up.“Check the lost and—”
“Cat?”
Her head snapped up.
Jillian stood in the doorway.
For a moment Cat couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even think.Winthrop Academy was in Michigan.The girls were supposed to be in London.Rhys was thousands of miles away.But Jillian—Jillian—stood in her doorway with flushed cheeks, an unzipped coat, and snow still melting in her long golden hair.
Cat stood up.“Jillian?”
The girl nodded, grinning in a way Cat had never seen from her before—open, excited, confident.“Hi.”
Cat’s pulse kicked hard, heat rushing through her in a rush of disbelief.“Wh—how?What are you doing here?”
Jillian took a step inside and let the door close behind her.“My mum brought me.”
Cat froze.“Your… mum?”
