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“Anyway, to make a long story short, Dr. Maddock introduced me to that person she was talking about, the one familiar with what I’ve been through…and he referred me to a lawyer who works with individuals victimized by way of unnecessary conservatorships. Taught me some loopholes, and gave me some pointers on how to try and get my parents to dissolve it rather than have to try and fight them in court.”
“And?” he says, cutting me a quick look. He flicks the blinker, and veers right down a winding, narrow road. It’s snowing heavily, but he seems to have no issue seeing where he’s going.
“I got home, kept my head down, and bided my time.” I pause. “I…waited, I guess. I waited for you. Despite knowing you weren’t coming.”
I sense Nolan tense up.
“And eventually…I realized, it wasn’t up to you to save me. It never was.Ihad to save me. So, I used my allowance to get a car. I didn’t have my license at the time, but I was able to store it somewhere secure for the time being. And then I confronted my parents—told them if they didn’t release me, I’d go to the police about their dirty business dealings and then the press.”
“Wait. Did they?”
I shake my head. “Probably, they’re investors with way too much money coming in to be ethical, but still…it was just a bluff. One of those tips I got on the island. People that wealthy are almost always doing something dirty,” I say with a nod.
Nolan says nothing to that, but when I peek over, I find him gaping out the windshield in shock.
I clear my mouth. “Anyway, they backed off immediately. Surprisingly, but also…not, looking back on it. I think more than anything they just wanted to be free of me, and when I told them I didn’t even care about my trust fund…they just…” I wave a hand. “Let me go. Had me sign some papers, handing my fortune over. Basically…ensuring, legally, I was removed from the family officially and couldn’t do anything to tarnish their name and company. And then I…walked out. Never looked back.”
Nolan still doesn’t say anything for a long moment.
He eases on the gas, and makes a sharp right down what looks to be a driveway. In the distance, I see faint lights.
Slowing to a crawl, he parks in front of a rustic, two-story log cabin.
I inhale deeply, staring through the glass. Somehow, it’s exactly like what I pictured he’d live in, if only a little bigger. Lit up by nothing more than the headlights and the falling snow, it looks dark, but cozy. Aside from the house and where we park, all I see are tall, sweeping evergreens towering around us.
The only thing missing is some multi-colored string lights. I wonder why he doesn’t decorate, especially with having a child and all. Even my house was decorated growing up, even if it was just for show.
Letting the engine idle, Nolan reaches for me, cupping my cheek and turning me away from the window to face him.
“When was this?” he says, before dropping his hand with a small wince, like he just realized what he did.
Ignoring that, I say, “About eight months after I got back from Black Diamond.”
His eyes glaze over like he’s trying to do the math, and then he slides them shut, nodding. “Okay. And you…you gave up your trust fund?” he says, reopening his eyes to peer back at me with some unidentifiable emotion.
I nod. “Yup.”
He stares at me, eyes tightening with visible distress.
I shrug, fighting not to look away this time. “It’s not like I had a choice.”
He cringes. “No, but—”
“I wanted a life, Nolan,” I say firmly. “And so long as I was kept under their thumb, I’d never be free. I’d never be here in Vermont. And while it…it hurts that you didn’t come, I—
His eyes crease with a wince and he shakes his head. “I did come for you.”
My face slackens. “What?” I say numbly.
His throat dips prominently. “Well, I…I checked on you.” He cringes.
“What?” I hiss.
His mouth thins and he shrugs, at a loss. “I hired a private investigator to just…make sure you got home safe. Make sure your parents didn’t send you away, like you said they might.”
I stare at him, unable to believe what I’m hearing.
“But then, about two years ago, I don’t know…I just—I wanted to make sure you were still okay. I was still…worried, and missing you and—” My eyes redden, watching him frown down at his hands. “I had him follow up on you, just to make sure. But…he said you were gone. No trace of where you went. So I went to Indiana, and I—”
