I reach for him, but he shakes me off. My breath catches in my chest. Everything is unraveling before my eyes. “Don’t leave like this, Troy.”
“I’ll call you later.” He gives me a weak smile and is out the door. It shuts softly behind him, but it echoes in the quiet of the apartment.
“Angela. Why don’t?—”
I don’t know who says it, as the rage that’s brewing inside me takes over everything.
“Leave.”
“Sweetheart. Let’s just take a minute and talk things over.” This time, it’s Aunt Marley.
“No.” Tears are streaming down my face. “I can’t talk to any of you right now.”
“Just as well.” Dad stands from the couch and heads tothe door. “I don’t think it would be a productive conversation.”
He leaves without another word. Aunt Marley and her husband follow him, but Pops remains.
I brush angry tears away. My heart is cracking inside my chest.
“Give him a few days to calm down. It just took him by surprise is all.”
“And you think this is how I wanted you to find out about Troy?” I turn to face him. His face is sympathetic. Growing up, he was always the calming influence of the two of them. “Pops, I…”
“I know, sweetheart.” He wraps me into a hug. “I know. I’ll talk to him.”
I want him to stay. To wrap me in his arms and protect me from the world like he did when I was a kid. His hugs–their hugs–always fixed everything.
And now, I can’t even think about it without anger and pain mixing together.
Because with one swift move, everything in my life has changed.
No Troy.
No parents.
Nothing.
What is a girl supposed to do?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
ANGIE
“Are you sure it’s okay if I come tonight?” Harper asks from the passenger seat of my car.
“If you don’t, I might be subject to killing one of my dads. And that’s the last thing any of us needs.”
I haven’t spoken to anyone in my family since everything happened. Four long days. I’ve skipped every single class—a first for me since I started college. Troy’s been calling, but I haven’t been able to pick up the phone. Harper is the only person I’ve seen. I’m too heartbroken to do anything but stay in my room.
I don’t know how to forgive my dad while trying to keep Troy in my life. But when I got a call from my grandma, telling me in no uncertain terms that I had to be at the party, Harper got my ass in gear.
A shower. A little makeup to look presentable. And a simple black dress. Not much more I could muster the energy for.
“Okay, there will be no killing tonight. I don’t want to visit you in prison.”
That gets a laugh out of me. “Fine. But you are not to leave my side.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to call Troy?” Harper asks as I pull into the long driveway where my grandparents live.
