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“I care about you too,” Bella said quietly. “But just tell me because if my heart jumps out of my chest, it’d make a mess I’m not sure I can clean up and you hate when I don’t clean up my messes.”

She had to admit she could appreciate that Bella was trying to keep this a little light.

Or maybe it was the touch of personality that Colson didn’t recognize that he shared with his sister.

The one that made people smile or laugh without trying.

But Colson only cracked his knuckles, ignoring what Bella had said.

“You remember when you first came to live with me?” he began.

Bella frowned a little. “Yeah.”

“And you asked about your mom.”

Her posture stiffened immediately. Like she was bracing herself to fight. Maybe to run. Marly really hoped it wasn’t to run.

“You said she didn’t want me,” Bella said flatly.

She felt Colson tense beside her.

“That’s not exactly what I said,” he replied gently.

“It’s what it meant. What it means. She left long before Dad died. That means you don’t want someone.”

The room grew silent with tension so thick a machete wouldn’t be able to slice through it.

He leaned forward a little more. Almost as if he wanted to reach for Bella’s hand, but he didn’t.

“You knew she wasn’t around,” he said. “And that I didn’t know where she was at the time. I tried to find her back then.”

Bella’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Did you find her now? Is that what you’re saying? That you don’t want me anymore. That I have to go with her?”

Bella’s voice was rising, the fear and worry loud and clear.

This time Colson reached for his sister’s hand and touched it lightly. “She found us. I wasn’t looking. I haven’t and wouldn’t do that. You’re mine now. You’re here and you’re safe and you’re not going anywhere.”

Bella blinked. Big, fat tears rolling out of her eyes.

“What?”

“She’s back in town,” he said carefully. “But that doesn’t mean you have to go with her. It means nothing more than she’s here and she’s come to see me.”

The words seemed to hang in the air.

Bella’s face drained of color. Marly wanted to get up and hug the girl just to reassure her that everything was okay.

You know what, she did it anyway. Because if she were in Bella’s shoes, she’d need that hug too.

Bella squeezed her so hard, that her ribs actually hurt. Then she let the teen go and the conversation continued.

She felt like it helped because Bella took a deep breath, then another, and a third. “So she’s here like... visiting?”

“I don’t know,” he said quietly. “She’s here. She showed up at the police station last week. She didn’t know your father died.”

“Bull,” Bella said.