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I glance up at her smiling face and show her my pearly whites. “Ah, Millie, you’re the best.”
“No need to butter me up. I already like you,” she teases, then walks back behind the counter and into the kitchen.
“She’s a hoot,” Rosie says, still looking toward the closed doors.
“Millie’s a good woman with a big heart. She’s good people.”
“This is a coincidence. Or maybe not. This is a small town.”
“It’s not a coincidence. I saw you coming this way and wanted to spend time with you.” There, I said it out loud.
She shakes her head. “Is this about Clarissa? Because there really isn’t much more to say.”
“Clarissa isn’t in this. She’s gone. She’s been gone for years. You laid her to rest. I think it’s good we let her rest in peace.”
“I agree.” She nods. “I don’t want to bring up the past. My parents have been through enough. For months, people tried to get them to pay Clarissa’s debts. Not collection agencies, but bad people. That was part of the reason they decided to move back to Nebraska to be with family. Dad’s brother was the sheriff in town, and his son, my cousin, Andrew, followed in his footsteps. It makes me feel better knowing they have family around them.”
“People threatened your parents?” I repeat incredulously. Fuck, I was so pissed at Clarissa and how she hurt me, I didn’t think of anyone else. I got on my motorcycle and rode out right after my tirade at Erik and Penny. Fucking selfish! I was so busy licking my wounds that I never gave it another thought. I sure as hell would never have left if I believed they were in any kind of danger. God only knows the mess Clarissa got herself into. A junkie will beg, borrow, and steal to get their next hit, and sharks will go to any lengths to get their money back.
“Yeah, it got ugly for a while. Dad paid them, but they kept coming back. That’s when he decided we weren’t safe, because they would never stop.” She sees I’m seething and rests her hand over mine. “It’s fine now. Honest. Mom and Dad are with family. Dad and Uncle Will go golfing. Mom and Aunt Susan are taking a ceramics class together. They’re enjoying their retirement.”
“What about you? Those guys ever bother you?” I ask. I see by how she averts her eyes and pulls her hand away that whoever these assholes are, they did something. “Babe,” I say, getting her attention, her gaze rising to meet mine. “What’d they do?”
“It was a long time ago. It’s over,” she says, trying to brush it off, but her expression shows that it scared her.
“Tell me,” I say. She hesitates, sucking in air. “Rosie, either you tell me, or I’ll go hunting for answers.”
“Why? Why would you do that? We’ve all moved on.”
“I’ve gotta know.” I point to my gut. “In here. I feel it.”
She folds her hands in her lap. “Fine.” She closes her eyes for a second, and when she opens them, she blurts out, “They wanted me to pay back the money. They knew I didn’t have the kind of cash they were asking for and told me that one sister was as good as another.”
The burning in my chest just became a raging inferno. She was a kid, and those punks were going to make her into a prostitute. My expression must be murderous, because Rose leans in and takes my hand.
“It’s the past. I ran home and told Dad. He got us out of there before anything could happen. We never looked back. Dad made me promise never to go back, not even to visit Clarissa’s grave. I wanted to once, but Mom said that we could mourn her from anywhere. It didn’t need to be by a grave site. I agreed, and that was the end,” she tells me, even managing a small grin.
“I should have been there to protect you,” I grit out through clenched teeth.
“Don’t do that to yourself. It was a terrible situation that snowballed into an even worse one. You had every right to cut ties and move on. It’s hurtful to find out someone you love isn’t who they pretend to be. I’d had years of Clarissa’s lying and manipulating. You didn’t have a clue and trusted the woman you cared about. I knew she was going to disappoint you, but what could I do? I couldn’t tell you. You’d think I was some bratty younger sister who was just jealous.”
“I never loved her,” I say.
Rose stares for a second, looking confused. “But—”
“I admired her fire. She was filled with dreams of adventure, and I was entranced by her free spirit. I liked her. She was a lot of fun. She knew how to party, and you’re right, she had a way of making people do what she wanted. When I finally saw her for what she was, I wanted to help her get better. I tried and tried. She shot me down or out-and-out lied to me. What we had was over long before it actually ended.” I bare my soul to Rose, telling her what I’ve been holding in all this time. The guilt of staying when I was already mentally out of the relationship, and the guilt of not being able to see Clarissa’s own worth.
“Whatever you had with Clarissa, even for a short time, it made her a better person. She was sick. Substance abuse is an illness. It was her decision to continue, despite the fact we all tried to help her. My father beat himself up for years over this. It ate away at him until he let it go.” She squeezes my hand. “Please, let it go too.”
I gave her the hard truth, and still, my Rosie is gentle with me.
Millie arrives at the table, clearing her throat to get our attention, holding two plates. We break apart as she sets them down in front of us. “You can reattach now,” she jokes.
“Nah, I need two hands to grab my burger,” I reply.
Rosie starts to laugh, bringing a smile to my face. “I’m glad this wasn’t a coincidence. It’s good to be around you again,” she says quietly.
We eat and talk about where our lives have taken us since we last saw one another. Rose tells me about college. She talks about her dream to start her shop. Her parents aren’t thrilled with having her so far away, but she was determined to spread her wings.
