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I reached for my phone in my pocket and called the nearest cab company. “They’ll be here in five minutes,” I said, not bothering to look over at her.
She didn’t respond. That was fine by me.
I climbed into my car, the blood from my hand smearing the steering wheel, and raced away from the worst night of my life.
Chapter 43
Amelia
Iheard it all.
The shouting, the insults, the car door slamming. My mother, making an ass of herself. Nathaniel, losing his composure.
I didn’t bother going to the window except to close it. I couldn't bear any more drama.
A knock came to the door, and my sisters gently pushed it open.
I had been curled up on the bed since running upstairs. My pillowcase was soaked with tears. and my hair was a mess. I had never felt worse in my life.
“Amelia, honey…” Melinda swooped over and tried to comfort me. Larissa came in behind her, sitting down slowly at the edge of the bed, softly brushing my shoulder with her palm. “You poor thing.”
“Pathetic thing, more like,” I sniffed.
“Hey now, don’t say that.” Melinda gave me a nurturing squeeze. “I’m not nearly as glamorous as you when I cry,” she winked.
“Yeah, and I’m loud,” Larissa added.
My sisters always had a knack for cheering me up, but tonight it wasn’t going to work.
“This is a nightmare,” I said, sniffling. “I heard everything, you know. With Mom and…” A fresh wave of tears burst through, interrupting me.
“We watched it happen,” Larissa said, shaking her head. “Mom was terrible. It was ridiculous. And for what it’s worth, we don’t think that what happened in the cellar was Nathaniel’s fault.”
“He was blind-sided, Amelia.” Melinda handed me a tissue. “Mom threw herself at him and he tried to stop it, but he couldn’t. It was all against his will.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said bitterly. “It’s over now.”
“Why would you say that?” Melinda asked.
Larissa made a confused face. “What are you talking about? We’re saying Nathaniel didn’t do anything wrong.”
I fought to keep the tears from overwhelming me again. “I just can’t do this. It’s too much stress. Whatever happened, or didn’t happen, it doesn’t change reality.”
Melinda disagreed. “What reality is there, other than being with the one you love?”
She didn’t understand. It was all ruined. “I knew that bringing him home to our family would be a burden, especially for Dad. Iknew, and yet I’m the one who insisted on bringing Nathaniel to my dinner with Dad. It got him punched in the face. I’m the one who pushed so hard for this wedding because I thought it would make the family stronger, even though I was hesitant at first. Can’t you see? After all that, I’ve destroyed the family anyway. I’ve failed. It won’t work between Nathaniel and me. He’ll never fit into our lives.”
Larissa and Melinda shared a sober look. Melinda pursed her lips. Larissa tapped her foot a few times erratically, then stood up.
“OK,” she declared. “I’m going to get you a glass of water.” She walked out of the bedroom, leaving Melinda and me alone.
“Is she…madat me?”
“No, honey,” Melinda said, rubbing my back. “She’s trying to help in the best way she knows how. Now that we know how one-sided Mom’s flirtation was, I think Larissa feels defensive of Nathaniel. Hearing you say that you don’t see a future for our family with Nathaniel in it…” She let out a great sigh. “That’s for you to figure out, Amelia. We can’t tell you what to do. It’s understandable for you to feel like everything has fallen apart, and in a way, it has. But if you’re going to let go of Nathaniel, that’s a decision you have to work out on your own.”
– – –
I awoke in the middle of the night needing water. Slipping out of my old bedroom, I padded downstairs in the dark. The house was dead quiet.
