“You spend a lot of time with Ingrid,” he counters. “And I keep thinking you're going to end up at NYU in the fall. This might be our last summer together.”
“I can't go to NYU, and you already know why,” I say, my throat stinging. “You need to stop taking this out on Blondie. She didn't do anything wrong. If you want to be pissed at someone, be pissed at me. I'm the one who wouldn't stay away from her.”
“Whatever.” Cash sighs as his phone dings and he pulls it out of his pocket.
“Your girlfriend?” I tease.
“Actually,” he says, scrunching his face, “no. It's your sister.”
“Elowyn?” I whip my head back. “Why is she texting you?”
Cash reads the message before handing his phone over to me. “Take a look.”
Hi, Cash. This is Elowyn Cox, Wilder's sister. I've been trying to get in contact with him, but I think he might have blocked me. I heard from a friend that you're staying with him. If there's any way you could deliver a message for me, I'd be so grateful. My mom has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The prognosis doesn't look good, and I really need to speak with him.
Margot has cancer? That's... awful.
“Did you block her?” Cash asks me.
I run a hand through my hair. “No, but I put her notifications on silent. She kept pushing me to go on a summer vacation with my dad and Margot last summer. It was easier to just ignore her.”
“You should call her, Wild.”
“Yeah.” I swallow harshly. “I should.”
But talking to Elowyn brings up a shit ton of trauma. She was the chosen child. I was the abandoned one.
I stare at the screen, trying to gain my bearings.
Distance has always been easier.
“About what I said,” Cash says, his eyebrows knitting together. “I wasn't trying to cock block you. I just knew if I stayed at my old house and ifI drove my old truck, my parents would find a way to control my life again. I can't live like that. Not anymore.”
“I know,” I say.
Archibald and Fanny had Cash’s whole life planned out for him. Fanny even went so far as to get Ingrid’s dad fired from his job.
“I'm going to shower,” he says as he stands.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
I take a deep breath and reach for my phone. I scroll through my text messages until I find Elowyn’s name. Sure enough, she's sent me a dozen texts.
Can you please call me?
I'm not trying to bother you, but something really important came up. Please call me.
Wilder? Are you ignoring me?
I'm sorry I pushed getting together on you, but I could really use a friend right now.
My mom has cancer. I don't know what I'm going to do. Dad pretends everything is fine, but I'm hurting.
Please, Wilder. Please reply to me.
Dad didn't come home last night. I don't know why. My mom's been crying all day because she thinks he left.
He's home. I guess he fell asleep at the office.
