“Hewould. Did you know he almost killed his ex a few years ago? She ended up in a coma. Almost died before shedisappeared. No one’s known where she’s been ever since. She could be hiding, or she could be dead.”
Her mother gasped.
“I was next,” Aspen added. “Andyoumade it easy for him.”
There was another small pause. Was her mother finally understanding? “I didn’t…I wouldn’t have thought—”
“But that’s the thing—you never think about anyone but yourself.”
“He seemed like an okay guy. Kind, even.”
“It doesn’t matter how he seemed! Itold youhe wasn’t a good guy. I even told you what he did to me. But you didn’t believe me!”
“I’m sorry. I…I gave Jesse all the information I had. I even described the girl I saw Dylan with.”
It wasn’t enough. “Are you going to get help?”
“Help?”
“For your mental health, Mom. Are you going to get help?”
“No, I—”
“Then I can’t have a relationship with you. Because you’ll keep hurting me without even realizing that’s what you’re doing.”
“Aspen—”
“Goodbye, Mom.”
She hung up and leaned her head back against the seat. When a tear fell, she scrubbed it away, almost angry at herself for being upset. Her mother didn’t deserve her tears.
“Hey.”
She jumped at the sound of Becket’s voice, and her eyes flashed open. He lowered to the seat beside her, concern in his normally humorous eyes.
She straightened. “Hey.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“I don’t know why I still let her actions bother me. My mother has been the same for my entire life. She’s never been what I needed, and yet, I always expect her to be more.”
“Because she’s your mom and you love her.”
“I love theideaof her.”
Becket shook his head. “You love the good in her. And thereisgood. It just doesn’t come out very often.”
“How do you know? You’ve never met her.”
“You wouldn’t hang on to hope so hard if there was never any reason to.”
She swallowed. He was right. Her mother had her good moments, and in those moments, she gave Aspen a glimpse into who shecouldbe. And Aspen hung on to those moments even when she shouldn’t.
“She’s sick, even if she won’t acknowledge it. I wish she would get help.”
“When family’s sick, it creates a helplessness that can be debilitating. I felt that with Clara.”
She swallowed and nodded. She’d never have expected to have such a deep conversation with Becket, since he’d never shown her this side before.
