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A choked cry escaped Royal, and Kit reached out, covered his hands with hers, and held them tight.
The ride back to the cottage seemed longer but was just as silent, save for Mackey’s soft sobs, which rose just above the burr of the boat’s engine. After arriving back at the dock, Kit left the boat last, then stumbled twice on shaky legs as she followed Viv and Beau to the house.
Royal, still silent, went inside, and Mackey followed. The screen door clanged shut behind them, and Kit stood on the bottom step of the front porch, watching as Viv trudged through the high grass, her gaze pinned to the ground and Beau at her side.
“Viv?”
Her steps slowed.
“Will you stay?” Kit hesitated, unable to see her sister’s face. She should leave this alone—for today, at least. But the pain within her throbbed stronger with every step Viv took. “Just for a little while?”
Viv lifted her head and turned. The circles below her eyes had darkened, and her mouth was turned down. “What for?”
“To . . .” Kit moved closer. “To talk. Or just sit.”
Viv tilted her head. “Together? You and me?”
“Yes. We could—”
“Like old times?” Viv straightened. Pinned her hard gaze on Kit’s face. “’Course, I can’t say that. Because we never had that, did we? Not really. Cuz you ran off and left.”
“Viv . . .” Beau touched her arm.
“I’m here now,” Kit said. “I’d like to be here for you now. To help in any way I c—”
“Yeah.” Viv nodded. “Because it’s always been about what you want. What you’d like. What you need.”
Kit shook her head, her eyes burning. “No,” she said softly. “I’d much rather have been here. I love you, Viv. Just as much as I always did.”
“You’re a liar.”
Beau moved forward and placed his palm at Viv’s waist. “Look, it’s been a hard day for both of you. Please don’t do thi—”
“Do what?” Viv bit out. “Tell the truth? Because itisthe truth. Kit’s a liar. And a coward. The only reason she’s here now is that it’s easy. That it’s comfortable.”
Kit took a step back. “That’s not fair, Viv.”
“Fair? You have no idea what fair is—or love, for that matter.” Viv stalked closer, the disgust in her eyes slicing Kit to the core. “You shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t be in that house. You shouldn’t have even been on that boat.”
Kit’s heels hit the bottom step of the front porch. Beau had turned away, a flush spreading up his neck. He avoided her eyes.
“You sure did your part, didn’t you?” Viv continued. “Keeping your head down out here—never saying a word in her defense—but giving her ultimatums left and right in that house.”
“I was trying to help her. I was trying to protect her from herself and hang on to some sense of normalcy for all of us.”
“She cried for days after you left.” Viv stabbed a finger in the air, aimed at Kit’s chest. “Asked for you every time she hit rock bottom.” She shook her head slowly. “Some things you can’t take back no matter how much time has passed.”
“Stop it.” Kit held up a trembling hand. “This won’t fix anything.”
“There’s a word for what you did.”
“I said st—”
“Abandonment.” Viv’s lip curled, accusation in her eyes. “You gave up on her. Abandoned her when she needed you most. You as good as pushed her in that creek.”
Something snapped inside Kit, jerking her head back. “There’s a word for what you did, too.” Her face flamed. “It’s called enabling.” She could feel the words snaking up her throat, clambering onto her tongue, hitting Viv where they’d hurt the most. But she couldn’t stop them. “Who bailed her out every time she got in trouble? Who accepted her excuses and allowed her to wreak havoc in that house? Destroy her life, Dad’s, and ours, too? Who gave her the money for liquor and pills to silence the voices and keep her calm? The same liquor and pills she pumped in her body three nights ago?” She snatched in a breath, a deep ache bleeding through her. “You enabled every single thing she did. Right up to the moment she drowned herself.”
Viv’s face blanched. Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly. She took a step back, her eyes, wide and full of pain, roaming over Kit’s face. “I hate you,” she whispered. “I hate setting eyes on you. I hate seeing my face in yours. Knowing you share my blood.”
