“Yes, they do.”
“Doyoudeal drugs?”
“No.” His voice was firm. “I haven’t since I turned eighteen.”
“And you’ve not talked to them since?”
“I haven’t. And I don’t want to.”
“Thank God.” I leaned against a table as relief hit me. “I thought ... I was worried ...”
“You were worried that kind of shit was here.”
“Yes. I can’t be around Arlo. I just can’t.”
“I figured. I told the sheriff about all of this.”
“I thought no one knew your past.”
He let out a breath. “They don’t. But an exception had to be made. Fortunately for me, he didn’t ask a lot of questions.”
I took a shaky breath as I went through his words. Scarlett had been right. He may have known Arlo, but he didn’t like him. He didn’t condone who Arlo was.
“Okay, thank you for explaining.”
“Strawberry Springs should be safe for you, and I can give you Mike’s information. I know I probably won’t be seeing you again, but I can at least do that. Or you could ask Kelsey for it, if you don’t want to talk to me.”
My eyebrows furrowed. As much as I didn’t like that our pasts connected at all, I knew I didn’t want to cut him from my life.
That was why I came down here, after all.
“No, I want to keep talking to you.”
Theo frowned. “But I’m connected to Arlo. You have a right to never speak to me again.”
“Am I not a reminder of something you’re not proud of? You also have a right to not want to see me,” I replied.
“That’s not what I want.”
“Well, it’s not what I want either.”
“Why not? Your past has to be ...”
“Terrible? It is. But I’m not running from it. And you’ve said it yourself: You got out the moment you could. That’s all you can do.”
“I highly doubt you were into what I was. I had toworkfor them before I got out. I was a part of something I hated. And I’ll never be able to make up for that.”
“Who said you had to make up for it?”
“The people I had a hand in hurting.”
I shook my head. “And where does it stop? Do you have to atone for stepping on a bug? Or accidentally running a red light? You pulled the short end of the stick when it came to who birthed you. Formative years are just that—formative. But despite all of that, you’re kind. You respect boundaries. That’s the person you are. Your past doesn’t negate that.”
Theo stared at me, brown eyes wide. “You ... you’re surprisingly calm about this.”
“Well, I had time. And a lot of therapy. You can’t have a dad like mine without it.” I shrugged and looked away with a sigh.
“Still. I’m sorry you ever had to meet Arlo, and that your dad brought him around.”
