Sadie’s lips tremble, her eyes misting with anger. With a shaking voice, she murmurs, “I don’t know how you can be so opinionated about what our family has been through when you ran away the way you did. You left him long before I did, Elena.”
“Mom, stop.” August sighs, dropping his face into his hands from my periphery. “This is ridiculous. Honestly, Zach would probably fucking hate us all. We’ve all handled things terribly.”
“The difference is that you and I”—I wave a finger between us—“understand where we’ve fallen short. Your parents don’t seem to think they’ve hurt you, or that the hurt they’ve caused is unwarranted, and if nobody else will fucking set them straight, I’m more than happy to.”
He lifts his head, and there’s a bright conviction in his green eyes—something that looks a lot like salvation. A lot like gratitude. Like love.
“I know my husband has been less than supportive, and it’s something I try to work on, but honestly, what would you have me do?” Sadie takes a sip of her tea. “As for me, I’ve never blamed Augustus for the loss of my son.” Her eyes lift to mine. “I’ve only ever blamed you.”
Like the blow she hoped her words would be, they land. Sucker punching me straight in the center of my soul, and causing me to nearly stumble over the chair behind me.
“Don’t fucking say that,” August snaps.
“You’re like an illness to this family, Elena,” Sadie continues. “Do you know how many times I watched my boys argue about you growing up? I know you all think I wasn’t paying attention”—she glances at August—“but I was. And you…” She sets her sights on me again. “You were the common denominator in every fracture of their relationship. You were the last person he saw that day, and whatever you said or did to him upset him enough that he went into that water despite knowing he shouldn’t have. He went into that water because of you, and he never returned.”
The fight leaves my body, all that venom and all those spears fall uselessly to the floor, and I become hollow. The tears I tried to blink away win, cascading down my cheeks like liquid heartbreak.
I agree with every word she says, but I’ve never heard them voiced aloud before.
I’ve never had someone lay confirmation to the darkest thoughts that plague my mind.
“So, you’ll forgive me, Elena, if I’d like to protect the one child I have left…” Her voice breaks. “From the irreparable damage of the messes you cause.”
“Okay, fuck this. That is enough—” August starts.
“Yeah, so, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” August and Sadie whip around, and for the first time, I notice Dahlia hovering beside our table with her eyes pinned on Sadie.
“Me?” she asks.
“I have very little patience for my employees being harassed by customers, but I’m especially intolerant of anyone making my sisters cry.” She crosses her arms and nods toward the door. “So, you can get the fuck out, and please know you will not be welcomed back.”
“Ridiculous,” Sadie scoffs, rolling her eyes. “August, my love, walk me out so we can continue this conversation privately.” Shegathers her bag, standing from her chair before tossing a final once-over at me. “I don’t know what either of them saw in you, anyway.”
“Me either,” I whisper, too numb to feel the penetration of her judgmental stare, still bleeding from the slice of her words.
I don’t look at Dahlia or August, unable to address the fact that they heard everything she’d said too. That the depths of my regret, and the secrets I’ve clutched against my chest for years, were ripped away and spewed out in front of us for all to witness.
I simply turn and walk out, unsure of where I’m going, because I don’t think I can go home.
It was never really mine, anyway.
32
VIOLET
“FIX YOU” - COLDPLAY
“I cannot fucking believeyou said that to her,” I spit in my mother’s direction. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Am I?” she damn near shrieks, genuine shock flashing on her face. “Did you hear what she said to me?”
“She was being protective of me, Mom!” I throw open the back door to The Wicked Wildflower, holding it for my mom to exit behind me. “She’s been living with me for months. She’s seen firsthand how fucked up I am. A fact you’re all too happy to ignore.”
“She had no right?—”
“You had no right!” I shout back, causing my mother’s eyes to widen in a way I’ve never seen before as she steps back from me. “It was vile to place that blame on her. You have no idea what kind of guilt and pain she harbors, and how much work she’s been putting in to move past it. I don’t even want to fathom how much your careless words today will set her back.”
“August.” She sighs, squeezing the tension out of her temples. “I don’t have the capacity to hold concern for that girl’s well-being. It’s you I care ab?—”
