I took a deep breath. “Sophie left Anna to both me and Clementine.”
“I…I…don’t understand.”
“I don’t really understand it yet either. It’s going to take some time to figure out. I might be here longer than I planned.”
“How long?”
I didn’t want to say it. Really, really didn’t want to.
“Silas?”
I gulped. “Three months.”
Her reaction was immediate. “Three months?!” Her voice shot up an octave. “You can’t stay there for three months.”
“I have to.”
“What are you talking about?” Her voice was downright shrill. And I knew some of that was my fault. I wasn’t explaining it very well.
So I dove in. “There are stipulations I have to follow. And if I don’t—ifwedon’t—then the courts will end up deciding what to do with Anna. And I really don’t want that to happen. Ican’tlet that happen.”
“Of course you can’t.” I heard her exhale. “I’m sorry. You’re right. You have to get this figured out for Anna. It’s okay. If it takes three months…”
I knew if I didn’t plow through the next part, she might hang up or explode before I could finish. “There’s something else. And you’re not gonna like it, but it is what it is. The three of us have tolive togetherduring those three months”—she gasped, but I kept going—“before we can solidify a custody agreement.”
“Are you pranking me right now?” I was fairly certain if she could have come through the phone and strangled me, she would’ve. “You have tolivetogether? That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” She scoffed. “No one does something like that in their will.”
“I’m not pranking you. I can take a picture of the letter if you want to see it. This is the way Sophie set it up. Trust me, I’ve already banged my head against the wall all day.”
Her laugh was bitter. “Let me get this straight. Your controlling sister is forcing you to play family with her best friend—your childhood crush,” she spat. “And I’m just supposed to be okay with that?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You didn’t even know Sophie. She just wants what’s best for Anna.” I forced myself to be calmer, to see it from Christy’s point of view. “You don’t have to beokay with it, Chris. But yeah, that’s pretty much what Sophie has done here. Trust me, I’m angry too.”
“Really? ’Cause you don’t sound angry.”
I sighed and pulled onto Clem’s driveway. “I already had it out with Holden about the whole thing. I’m too tired to be much of anything right now, anyway. I have a freaking concussion, okay?” The truck’s front wheel hit a pothole and my head slammed into the roof. I swore.
“You have a concussion? What?”
I didn’t want to tell her I’d been messing around on an inversion table when I should’ve been texting her. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
“Where are you right now?”
“Coming down Clem’s driveway.”
“You are not staying at her house, Silas,” she threatened.
“I don’t have a choice,” I said, making my tone as soft as possible. Miss Lisa’s lights were already off at the big house. I worried that I’d taken too long and was keeping Clem up waiting for me. I pressed the gas pedal toward Clem’s. Potholes or not.
“You always have a choice,” Christy said, but her voice shook and I could tell she felt helpless.
“Not if I want Anna to be okay,” I said gently.
“Then I’m coming out there for the summer.”
“You can’t.” That was the last thing I needed. I tried to hide how exasperated I was. “It’s one of the stipulations. Just the three of us. No outsiders allowed. Those were Soph’s exact words.”
The first sob erupted.
