“Now you understand. I can’t leave here. I can’t be Mother. I need to stay and be the right me, not the runaway-from-everything me. I owe you, Sadie. You’ve done so much forme.”
Sadie rounded the counter and turned me to face her. “That’s not what I meant, and you owe me nothing.” She closed her eyes and took a long breath before opening them again. “We didn’t have it easy, but we all made it together.” Her chest rose and fell with another deep breath. “I thought I was protecting you, but now I know I should have beenhonest.”
“Aboutwhat?”
“Dylan has been trying to speak to you. He’s been sending letters the last six months. I always returned themunopened.”
I thought I’d collapse since my legs felt like useless string instead of bone. “Nottrue.”
Zoey cleared her throat. “It’s true. And there’smore.”
My mind stumbled over the information, clutching at the fact that Dylan hadn’t forgotten about me after all. Yet, I hated myself for even thinking about him at all. He’d left without me, and it was too late to listen to what he had to say now. “I don’t want them. If he sends another letter, send it back again. Now, this conversation is over. There is no reason to ever talk about Dylanagain.”
“I’m afraid there is. He’s in town,” Zoey said in a matter-of-fact tone, not the your-life-just-exploded-and burned-to-ash-tone that matched myheart.
