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My heartbreak turns to blind rage and I pull my hand back and lash out, smacking him as hard as I can. “You selfish son of a bitch. Of all the times to break up with me, you pick the day we put my father into the ground? I can’t believe you’d do this to me. You’re heartless and cruel and I never want to see you again. Do you hear me? Never!”

I turn and bolt toward my room, not giving him any more time to hurt me with his words. Hearing that he doesn’t care enough to stay with me through one of the worst days of my life is enough to convince me that he isn’t the man I thought he was. If this is how he operates, it’s best he’s leaving now before I spend any more time falling in love with him.

Part of me hopes that that smack will knock some sense into him and he’ll come chasing after me, begging my forgiveness, but the other half of me knows that if he truly believes this was a sign from his father, then he’ll leave me.

I make it through the motel door, slam it shut, and then lean back against it. I wait with bated breath for one of two things to happen—a knock at the other side of this door or the truck engine roaring to life.

The second the engine turns over in his truck, I know that he’s not coming for me—that we are officially over and whatever I believed I shared with Tyler is now finished.

I slide down the wall and wrap my arms around my legs as I hold them against my chest. I drop my forehead down onto my knees. Tears flow and there’s no use trying to stop them because I know from this moment on, nothing in my life will ever be the same.

AVERY

Over the next week, I spend a lot of time with Granny in her room to avoid being alone and thinking about Tyler or Dad too much. At night, there are no distractions to stop my mind from reliving the worst days of my life. Tyler hasn’t called me, but I expected that much from him after the way he left me. There are so many things we still need to talk about, and I’ve worried about him a lot. I know he’s taking the blame for what happened, but I wish I could’ve made him understand that I don’t hold him responsible—that we both left that lantern on, that we both share in the guilt.

I wish I could talk to Tyler, but I’m afraid to call him. I’ll give him time and when he’s ready to come back to town, we’ll talk.

I lie on the bed and listen as Granny makes countless phone calls to her insurance company about getting money to rebuild her home and barn.

I can’t believe how many hoops you have to jump through in order to get the money that you’re entitled to.

As that thought passes, my cell rings. I grab it off the bed and the name on the caller ID makes me sit up straight as a board. It’s my mother.

My heart leaps in my chest. I haven’t spoken to her in months and I can’t imagine what in the world she’d be calling me for after all this time. From what I gather, she’s been pretty content with her new life and pretending that she doesn’t have a family that she ran out on when things got hard.

I press the green button and answer.

“Avery? Hi, darling, how are you doing?” Her voice is smooth as silk and it makes me edgy.

I debate whether or not I should tell her about Dad. I doubt she would care that he’s dead seeing as she didn’t care enough about him to stick by his side when things got tough. It’s probably best to keep the conversation light and get a feel for why she’s calling me now.

“I’m okay,” I reply.

“That’s really good to hear,” she answers. “I just heard through Stacy that your father passed in a fire. Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve liked to pay my respects. I was married to the man for nearly twenty-two years.”

That’s just like my mother—to make dad’s death all about her. I would like nothing more than to fire at her all the reasons why I didn’t contact her about Dad, but I decide against it. I’m sure my words would fall on deaf ears. I remain quiet and allow her to ramble on.

“You know you can stay with me if you’d like until you get on your feet. Jack has plenty of room, so I’m sure he won’t mind that you’re here.”

Jack . . . the doctor she left Dad for. The thought of living with her again doesn’t tempt me at all. She’s the last person I would even consider running to.

“I’m fine staying here with Granny. We’re working on getting everything rebuilt.”

She’s quiet for a few moments, but then says, “You’re a lot like him, you know. Your father was always so stubborn. It’s one of the things I loved most about him when we were young. I loved how he never wanted to settle and always pushed for more because he wanted a better life for his family than what he had growing up. He couldn’t wait to get out of Wellston.”

“It’s not so bad here,” I say as I think about the few interactions I’ve had with the locals around here. “People for the most part are friendly.”

“Sure, they’re nice, but there’s nothing there. You could benefit so much from returning to school and finishing your degree, finding a respectable guy with good prospects to marry, and really starting a life.”

Anger boils inside me, and I’m instantly brought back to the times when Mom tried to control everything about me. This is the first time we’ve spoken in so long and yet she’s still trying to dictate the best way for me to live my life when she doesn’t even know me anymore.

I’ve changed, and I’m not about to go back to being the stuck-up bitch she was trying to turn me into.

“You know what, Mom? I’m not going back to school—or at least not until I’m good and ready. I like it here. I like spending time with Granny and I think I’m going to stay here with her.”

“Avery, don’t be silly. Now that your father is gone and my attorney informed me that your father made you the sole executor of his will—”

Things instantly begin to click. “Is that why you called? Are you trying to figure out how to get the last few pennies that Dad had to his name? Divorcing him wasn’t enough? You have to try and take what little bit he has left? News flash, Mother, all he had left was his Mercedes, and if that’s what you’re calling to get, that’s too damn bad. I’m keeping it.”

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