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“You done?”
I shrug noncommittally, wiping my nose. “I guess.”
“How many times have I told you that not everyone is like your parents? I’m pretty sure those two were actually assembled in some kinda angry dick factory. It was neveryourfault.”
“Wasn’t it? They never wanted me. All I ever did was cause problems for them. They haven’t called meonce, Wanda. Not once in seven years. They were ecstatic to see me go. How can that not be my fault?”
“Because they’re shitty, selfish people. Your parents shouldn’t have been parents. Especially to someone as special as you. They were bitter people with bitter lives who turned up their noses at a beautiful gift instead of appreciating it.”
“I don’t know...”
“You think running away is going to solve things? It won’t stop that lady from hounding that family. Stubborn doesn’t quit at a roadblock, Cassie. It finds another damned road.”
“I’m sorry,” I say pitifully. “I can’t believe I’m sitting here complaining after the night you had.”
“My only other option would be some grainy-ass soap opera,” she says, waving me off.
“Still.”
“Don’t shoot yourself in the foot, honey. You can have good things, but you have toletyourself have them.”
What she’s saying sounds reasonable, or rather, it would, to a more reasonable person. I don’t feel very reasonable right now. I feel angry and sad and mostly just... beat. Like I’m trapped in a corner with only one way out, but the way out is paved with rusty railroad spikes.
I wipe my eyes again for good measure as I hear the door to her room opening, some chipper nurse stepping inside to greet us both as she gushes over Wanda being awake. The nurse mentions something about vitals and tests, and even though Wanda doesn’t say it, I can hear the dismissal in her voice.
“I’ll come back later,” I tell Wanda. “Don’t be mean to the nurses.”
Wanda rolls her eyes. “Haven’t bit one yet, at least.”
If I didn’t feel like shit, I would laugh at the look the nurse gives her.
“You remember what I said,” Wanda reminds me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
I nod, but even as I do it, I know it’s a lie. I walk out of Wanda’s room with a heavy weight on my shoulders, begging my eyes to keep the tears in until I can find a quiet spot outside to host a pity party before I try to flag down a cab. Because Ican’tbe the thing that stands between Aiden and Sophie. I won’t allow that to happen. No matter how much I... care about them. Both of them.
They’ll be better off if I do it now, before we get too deep. Before we reach some point that we can’t turn back from. Before Aiden realizes that I was never worth it in the first place. I can’t say whether or not the decision I’ve come to is stupid, but... I know it’s going to hurt like hell.
I’ve never been so nervous in my entire life. I’ve been waiting for this day for weeks, ever since we decided to meet in person. It’s ridiculous that I would be so terrified of a date at my age, and yet I’ve checked my hair three times, I’ve changed my outfit at least five.
My hands itch to touch her, and I’m desperate to hear her voice, hear her for real.
And today I finally can.
I check my appearance one more time in the hall mirror, jolting when my phone ringing from the kitchen counter distracts me. I frown when I notice who’s calling—there’s absolutely no reason for Rebecca’s sister to be calling me.
Dread settles into my stomach. Could something be wrong with Sophie?
I answer the call, bringing it to my ear with bated breath.“Iris?”
CHAPTER 24
Aiden
Sophie doesn’t say a word the entire ride home. I’ve told her three times since we left how sorry I am that I didn’t answer her call; I can’t even describe how much of a failure as a father I feel knowing that she spent hours on her own without anyone to comfort her. It’s left me with a pit in my stomach since the moment I saw her sitting in that hallway looking more desolate than I’ve ever seen her.
She’s quiet when we get home, too, trudging up two flights of stairs toward her room while claiming to be tired, and I war with myself on whether or not I should give her space or beg her to talk to me. At this point I have no idea which course of action will make things better, if they will at all, but in the end I decide she’s spent enough time on her own today.
I follow her into her bedroom and help her take off her shoes as she sits at the edge of her bed, staring down at me withunseeing eyes. I sit beside her after I help her settle under the covers, noticing her dark circles.
