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Jesse laughs. “Still not good enough, but I guess it’s better than being shoved out the door. I’ll accept it. But only because I prefer strong, independent Willow over the people-pleasing one.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” I laugh.
“Should I hide away now?” he says, with his eyebrows raised in mock annoyance.
“I think that’s best. And it will help if I don’t have to look at your sour expression.”
He rolls his eyes. “Sorry for caring.”
“Can you just flip over to asshole Jesse for a second? You know, the guy that doesn’t care.”
Jesse grabs my face in his hands and leans forward until our noses touch, his eyes locked on mine. “I willnevernot care when it comes to you. It’s just not in my nature. I’ve cared for too long.”
My gaze softens and I smile. I know this is hard on him. He wants to help. He always wants to help, but in this case he can’t. I have to do this alone. “I love you with all my heart.”
“I know. I guess I love you too.” He pouts again, making me burst out laughing just as someone knocks on the door.
“Okay. Time to go.”
As Jesse mopes toward the bedroom, I walk slowly to the front door, my heart lodged in my throat. I have so many questions, but I’m not sure I really want the answers.
“Oh, Willow,” Heather says, curling me into her arms the second she sees me, as tears prick her eyes. “I’m so sorry you went through that. We should have told you. I’m sorry.”
She’s sorry?
“No, I—”
“Heather’s right. I wish we’d explained what we knew back then. We just never expected Alex to do anything,” Jade’s dad, Tom, adds, his face ashen with regret. “Especially not to you.”
“Please stop,” I say, motioning for them to come inside. “I don’t blame you for any of this. I promise. And after a lot of heartbreak, I’ve come to realize that telling me back then would have completely broken me. I needed to heal before learning the full truth.”
“The full truth?” Heather asks, her eyes wide as she sits down. “You remember?”
“No, I’ve tried, but still nothing. I…”God, how do I tell them what really happened? How do I admit that it was my fault?“I found out a few things, and I… I’m so sorry, it was me,” I blurt. “I’m the reason Jade fell and…” I burst into tears, struggling to get the words out as I watch their faces pale, heavy emotion shadowing their features.
“Willow, no,” Heather gasps, standing to pull me into another hug. “We don’t blame you. Jade wasn’t herself. She was doing a great job at hiding it, but she was in a bad place.”Oh God, how did I not see it?
My tears thicken as I add to my guilt. If I’d only noticed something…
“We knew what happened,” Tom adds and I freeze.
“What?” I sniff.
“Tate got in touch with us all after he started school at Hepburn. After he found out who we were. He told us he was up there with you, and what had happened.”
“He said he was up there?”
“Yes, he admitted that Jade was there to meet him and why. No one even knew what that poor kid was going through, having to sell drugs for his foster father. Anyway, we all agreed with his choice to stay quiet. You didn’t need to know what happened. It wasn’t your fault, Willow. We don’t blame you. No one blames you. This goes back to Alex, and—”
A thought occurs to me and I interrupt them. “When you say ‘all,’ you don’t just mean the two of you, do you?”
Heather’s shoulders drop as she shakes her head. “No. Your parents knew too. And Ashley.”
Jesus. That cuts so deeply but explains so much. Why they always wanted me to move on. Why they never tried harder to discover the truth. Why Ashley felt she couldn’t talk to me.God.I don’t even know how to process that.
“Will you tell me about Alex?” I ask, needing to change the subject.
“Willow, I’m sorry, I—”
