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"If the shoe fits."
"Why would I give the woman I'm falling for something that would make her get sick? I would do anything in my power to protect her. There's so much you don't understand, Mason."
"We have a two-hour drive ahead of us. Plenty of time to explain."
I have no other choice except to start from the beginning, from the shooting until what I can remember from yesterday. I make sure to leave out all the parts an eighteen-year-old kid doesn't want to know about his mother. All the best parts of the story.
"Yesterday was the first time I've been able to talk to Bailey since the day she was shot. When I found out our entire relationship was a lie, I numbed everything the same way I have been for months."
"My mom was so worried about you all day yesterday. She spent more time checking her phone than helping me set up my apartment. What happened between when I dropped her off and when she left for my sister's?" Mason continues to interrogate me.
"I wish I could tell you. I don't drink like that. Ever. But besides the day my mother died, yesterday was the hardest day of my life."
“I still don’t understand what made my mom leave for San Diego.”
“You and I both, kid.”
After a long stretch of silence, Mason says, "I'm sorry, man. And I'm sorry for being so hard on you when we first met. I am extremely protective of my family after the way my dad betrayed us."
"I don't blame you. I protect the people I care for most also," I explain.
"Is that why you looked out for Madi and me in Denver?"
I nod.
Mason pulls up to the front of the hospital to drop me off. "Go talk to my mom. She's in room 315. I'm gonna go find my sister."
"Thanks, Mason."
I race past security and the nurse's desk, straight to Andrea's room. She has a large, private room. Fully dressed, she sits on a small couch with her legs pulled into her chest. She stares out the window blankly, not even noticing when I sit next to her.
"Why do I have Antabuse in my system, Daniel?" Tears flood her eyes.
"I don't know. My guess is Juan Carlos slipped it to you the other night."
"What does he want with me?"
"Nothing. He's looking for a large sum of money Bailey and Marco stole from him. You're linked to me, so maybe he thought you could lead him to it. I don't want to talk about this right now. Why did you leave me?"
The hurt in her eyes breaks my heart. "I won't ever be anyone's punching bag, Daniel. Drunk or Not."
My chest caves in from her words. "I hit you?” There’s no fucking way. I’d never hit a woman—
“No.” She shakes her head sadly. “But you may as well have. Your words… and anger…”
“I'm so sorry. I don't remember anything after arriving at the bar. I have no idea what I said to you. I only remember being upset about…."
Oh shit.
Oh fuck.
I remember.
The list.
What the hell did I say?
I hang my head in shame. I hate that I don’t remember what I said to her, but I know it must have been awful. " I was hurt when I saw the one-night-stand crossed off your list. I didn't know what to think, and then Bailey dropped bombshell after bombshell on me. I did what I always do when I'm scared. I got drunk."
