Page 89 of Dandelions and Smoke

Her words pierce through every doubt, and suddenly the timeline becomes painfully clear. Rory leaving and Scout reappearing in my life—none of it was a coincidence. It was all connected. Every piece falls into place, revealing a truth I’ve been too blind to see.

I never imagined Jasenia could be capable of this kind of calculated cruelty. Not because I thought she was incapable of hurting me, but because I can’t fathom someone choosing another person’s misery when it doesn’t bring them any happiness of their own. Yet that’s exactly what she’s done.

My whole body trembles with a fury I’m barely keeping contained. My hands curl into fists at my sides, my jaw aches from how tightly I’m holding it, and my vision blurs as heat rushes through me.

“I will not allow you to weaponize my own son against me. You don’t get to use him as leverage to make sure I never get the life you think I don’t deserve.”

“As if you can stop me,” she sneers, letting out a humorless laugh.

“I won’t have to. My lawyer will,” I say, cutting her laughter short. “I’m done. If you want to set your world on fire, that’s fine with me, but I’m done letting myself burn with you.”

“Garrett, wait.”

I hang up the phone without another word, my jew clenched so tight it’s borderline painful.

“Your ex is the reason Rory left and isn’t answering any of us?” Billy asks, straight to the point.

“That’s what it sounds like.”

We stare at one another, a thousand thoughts, rage, and not a word uttered between us until finally Billy nods his head.

“So, what’s the plan?” he asks me.

“I’m not going to spend the rest of my life wishing things were different.” I push myself to my feet, step around my desk, and head for the door. “I’m going to get my girl, but first, we need to know what happened, and I know exactly who’s going to help us figure it out.”

The cafe is closed by the time we arrive, leaving only Billy, Ainsley, Tris, and me gathered around one of the tables as Tris ends the call with Lettie, and with it, everything comes together, revealing a picture more devastating than I ever imagined.

“I’m going to kill her. I’m going to rip out every hair on her head, make a rope, and strangle her with it,” Tris says, her voice trembling as a tear threatens to fall, and she blinks hard, angry at herself for it. “How could we not know this was why she left? We need to go get her back. You need to fix this.”

I’ve never seen Tris like this before, and judging by the look Billy is giving her, he’s equally as surprised, but everything she’s feeling mirrors my own emotions.

“We will, honey,” Ainsley says gently to her, sliding her hand into hers.

Tris takes it and squeezes, nodding her head.

I swallow hard, forcing down everything Lettie’s explained about what happened before Rory left. Despite everything she’s revealed, there’s still one question I need answered.

“Where are we going?” Billy asks, following behind me as I storm out the door, not able to think clearly enough to explain myself.

“Scoot your boot. I’ll finish here. Let me know what happens,” Ainsley’s voice follows Tris out the door.

She jumps into the back seat of my truck with a face that dares me to challenge her, but I know better, and she wants these answers almost as badly as I do.

“You good? You were sounding a bit, uh, unhinged back there,” Billy asks Tris from the passenger seat, looking over his shoulder like he’s slightly afraid.

Tris raises a brow. “Unhinged would be me hopping into my car right now instead of this truck and following through,” she says flatly, her head tipping to the side.

“I take it back,” Billy replies, his voice pitching and eyes wide. “You’re perfectly hinged.”

“Yup, and I need that on a sticker because I do not get enough credit for how hinged I am when the situation calls for unhinged-ness.”

“Noted.” Billy shoots me a concerned look, his eye twitching, through the rearview mirror, but at this moment I can’t say I blame Tris for how she feels.

In less time than it should take to get there, we pull up to Blake and Rory’s house.

“Ah, shit. Here we go.” Billy closes his door and follows quickly.

Clearing the driveway in only a few strides, Billy is already behind me as I pound on the door.