The whole situation hit me like a wave, nearly knocking me down.For so long, she’d controlled everything.My music, my time, my voice.She’d controlled all of it.But today, it felt like I finally claimed it all back once and for all.
I knew it wasn’t over.Boundaries didn’t erase history.One conversation wasn’t going to heal a childhood.But for the first time, I used my voice, claimed it as my own, and Lindie actually listened to me.
My legs wobbled again, and I reached out, steadying myself on the wall.I wasn’t sure if I wanted to cry or scream or laugh.Maybe all of it.At the same time if possible.
I stumbled forward, further from her room.Pride straightened my back as my decisions stripped the last remnants of her influence from my body.
There was a small waiting area with a vending machine for snacks.The vending machine hummed quietly as I dug through my wallet and pulled out my card.I needed something salty to calm my nerves.Pretzels maybe.I pressed the button and waited for the familiar clatter.
“Didn’t think I’d run into you here.”
I nearly jumped at the sudden voice.
“Dammit, Micah,” I said when I saw him standing a few feet away.He had his hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie, his thick brown curly hair slightly messy like he’d been running his hands through it.“What are you doing here?”
He raised an eyebrow.“I could ask you the same thing.I didn’t peg you for the vending machine lurker type.”
I laughed and even though it felt a little stiff, it also felt good, releasing the tension that had been holding me tight for too long.“Lindie is here.I was visiting her.”
His face softened immediately.“How’s she doing?”
“Better,” I said.“They think she’ll be released soon.”
Micah studied me for a moment, reading between the lines like he always did.“And how are you doing?”
“I...”I hesitated, biting the inside of my cheek.“I told her the truth today.About being emancipated.About selling the house.That she can’t come live with me.”
He gave a low whistle.“Damn.That’s a lot.”
“Yeah,” I said quietly.“It was.But it needed to be done now that she’s in a better mindset.”I shuddered.“I can’t even think about if I tried to talk about any of that before today.”
One mention of selling the house would have probably put me back in the hospital.Lindie had clearly been mad, but at least she was able to rein in her temper.That was proof that she was doing well now.
Micah shifted his weight, arms crossing loosely over his chest.“You okay?”
“I think so.”
Micah nodded once, but his tone softened into something fierce and protective.“If she gives you trouble again, you tell me.I mean it, Cadence.I don’t care if I have to show up at her door myself.”
A startled laugh escaped me.“I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”
“You sure?”His mouth quirked up, but his eyes were serious.“Because I’ve got the twins on speed dial, and I bet Hazel could throw together a whole intimidation slideshow in under an hour.”
The image of Hazel armed with a camera to gather blackmail material and Lillian holding a bat made me laugh for real.“Please don’t.The last thing I need is my mom thinking the yearbook staff is after her.”
Micah grinned.“Hey, we’re versatile.”Then his smile faded slightly.“Actually, that’s kind of why I’m here.”
“Yearbook vengeance?”I joked weakly.
He shook his head.“No.Remember their cousin who was bullied and tried to kill herself?She relapsed.She’s back in.”
My heart sank.“Oh no.I didn’t know.
All I knew about the whole situation was that they have a cousin who was now a freshman in high school.Unfortunately, last year she was preyed on by Benji, a teammate of Paxon’s.Paxon outed him on Halloween about the situation.I shuddered, incapable of understanding what that poor girl had gone through.I had nearly been assaulted at a soccer game and that had been horrifying in itself.I couldn’t imagine anything beyond that and what kind of mess that would have left me.And their cousin had lived it.
“Hazel texted me earlier.Said they were at the hospital and I came to check on them.”He looked toward the hall.“You want to come say hi?I think they’d like to see you.”
I hesitated.“Wouldn’t that be intruding?”
