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“You think you know everything, don’t you, Mary Poppins?”
“I know I’ve become your punching bag, and I don’t care what you tell yourself, I know you don’t hate me. But if it makes you feel better to take stabs at me, then so be it. Hit me again, Jackson, because maybe there’ll come a day when you can see me as your friend and not your enemy. I’m actually a pretty cool person. If you gave me half a chance, you’d see I’m not a threat to you. To anyone for that matter. I’m not here to replace anybody. I just want to help you.”
“And then what? When you’re done helping, you what? Just leave us behind?”
“Is that what you want?”
“No.”
She smiled, thinking she got through to me.
She didn’t.
Not even for a second.
I’d already lost both my parents. I wasn’t going to let anyone in my life that I could lose all over again.
It hurt too damn much.
Hastily, I stood. Handing my baby sister over to her.
“Journey wouldn’t like that,” I declared the truth. “Cuz let’s face it, Camila, we both know she’s the only one who wants you here.”
She grimaced, and for the first time, I felt regret pull at my eyes.
“Did that make you feel better? Because the expression on your face says otherwise.”
“Everyone leaves, that’s just life.”
Her eyes watered, only fueling my anger.
The last thing I wanted was for anyone to feel bad for me. Take pity on me.
Fuck that.
“I’m sorry, Jackson, I hate that you feel that way. I wish there was something I could—”
“What did he say? I want to know what my father said to you.”
“That he loves you very much.”
I couldn’t tell if she was lying or not, but my sister and I hung on to her every word. As if Journey could understand and needed to hear it as much as I did.
Her stare moved all around the nursery until it landed on Journey’s bookshelf in the corner of the room.
“Your dad is hurting, and he doesn’t want you to see how bad.”
“He is?”
“Yes. He broke down.”
“In front of you?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“After he said he was hurting?”
“Sort of.”
