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“But I’ve never seen anyone look at her the way you do.”
Something in her chest tightened, and it took everything in her to stay where she was.
Erin watched her, as if knowing that she needed time to really hear the words she’d spoken.
“I..” Saff started, but didn’t know what to say.
Erin gave her a knowing smile.
“I know,” she said. “I know you were planning to leave.” She paused, letting out a sigh. “Maddie is strong, probably even stronger than all of us combined,” she said with a chuckle. “She’ll survive anything that comes her way.” Erin’s face went serious again, looking back at her. “And I’m sure you’re the same. But seeing the way you are with her,” she said, shaking her head slightly, “I don’t know how you’ll be able to walk away from that.”
Chapter thirty-eight
Maddie straightened up the second she heard the door open.
She waited, tense on the couch where she’d forced herself to stay after Saff walked out.
After a moment, she heard the chair nearby scrape away and her father’s voice mumble something as he walked behind her. Then she heard the light thud of her mother’s injured steps as he presumably helped her.
She waited, listening for any sign of Saff.
“Hey honey,” her mother’s soothing voice came from behind her a moment later, as her hand touched her shoulder.
“Is she..” Maddie asked, letting the rest of the unspoken question hang in the air.
Her mother loosed a breath as Maddie felt the cushion on the couch beside her cave inward.
“No, she—“ Her mother paused, “She walked away. I don’t know where she was going. I’m sorry.”
Maddie’s hand tightened around the cane in her lap as she tried to mask the disappointment on her face.
After a few silent moments, her father and Josh continued going over the map, arguing about their options.
Time seemed to pass in slow motion as she sat there, unwilling to move or do much of anything. And when they all decided to go get some food from the dining hall, Maddie still didn’t want to go. The thought of Saff leaving had stolen whatever small bit of appetite she’d had to begin with.
When they finally left, she pulled her legs up onto the couch, curling into herself.
And it wasn’t until a while later that she heard the front door open again.
She waited to hear the voice of one of her family members, and when she didn’t, she stiffened, pushing up onto her uninjured arm.
“Hey.” Saff’s voice drifted through the room.
She pushed herself fully up until she was sitting, warm surprise filling her empty stomach.
A moment later, the cushion beside her moved as she felt Saff sitting down. “Where is everyone?” she asked softly.
“Dinner,” Maddie muttered, shifting her throbbing arm in front of her.
“Where’d you go?” Maddie asked quietly.
“Just needed to get out for a while.”
Maddie pursed her lips, nodding slowly. “I thought, maybe..” She swallowed, trying to mask the feeling in her voice. “I thought maybe you’d left. For good.”
A beat of silence passed before Saff asked, “Is that what you want?”
Maddie cocked her head. “You think I want you to leave?”
