Summer's End (Wildflowers #5) - Jill Sanders Page 0,82

sell drugs.”

“No, but the man she’d been seeing…” Her father shocked her.

“Man?” She stilled. “What man?”

He sighed again. “His name was Davis Evans. That’s all I know. After Nora’s death, the man dropped off the radar.”

“Did the police look at him as a suspect in my mother’s death?” she asked.

“No, there was no need. The note your mother left you was in her handwriting and the apartment had been locked. The front door deadbolted from the inside. The police ruled it a suicide quickly.”

She thought through things and then sat down in the sand. She hadn’t even realized she’d walked to the private beach while talking.

“Aubrey, if you ever make it back up to the city…”

“I won’t,” she countered quickly.

“I understand.” He was quiet for a moment, then added, “This isn’t how I expected things to be. I know it probably doesn’t mean much to you now, but I’m sorry.” Before she could respond, he hung up.

Dropping her phone into the sand, she hugged her knees to her chest, dropped her head on them, and cried.

She lost track of time, but when arms wrapped around her, she glanced up through blurry eyes to see Elle.

“I’ve called the others. Whatever it is, we’re here for you,” her friend said with a smile.

“My dad,” she said.

Elle’s arms tightened around her.

“Is he…”

“No,” she replied quickly. “We just… He just… He said he was sorry.” She shook her head. There was no way she could explain how much those words meant to her. Even more than if he’d told her that he loved her. Those three words were the most powerful in her book, and he’d just said them to her. Finally.

It was like a weight had been lifted off her chest.

“Oh, sweetie,” Zoey said as she, Scarlett, and Hannah all rushed to her side. Each of them sat in the sand next to her.

“Is everything okay?” Hannah asked, wrapping her arms around her as much as she could, since Zoey and Scarlett had gathered around her while Elle still held onto her.

“Yes.” She smiled up at them. “My father told me he is sorry. I don’t know why I’m being stupid about it, but…” She laughed as the five of them almost toppled over.

“He’s okay?” Scarlett asked.

Out of the five friends, Scarlett had been the most like-minded when it came to their feelings about their dads. Scarlett hadn’t forgiven her father for abandoning his family before he’d died.

Now here she was, crying over the fact that her father had simply said he was sorry. Shaking her head, she sighed deeply.

“How did you find me?” she asked as her friends settled beside her.

“I was heading to dinner when I saw you on the phone. I felt terrible, but I followed you when I noticed you were upset,” Elle answered. “I’d thought at first you and Aiden…”

Aubrey laughed. “The only thing we’ve ever fought over is…” She frowned. “Well, we haven’t fought. Not once.” She glanced around at her friends as she dried her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.

“Not once?” Zoey asked. “Even Dylan and I go at it every now and then.”

“Ugh, don’t talk about your sex life.” Scarlett nudged her sister with a chuckle.

Zoey’s smile grew. “Okay, make-up sex is the bomb.”

Everyone groaned, causing Zoey to shrug. “Fine.” She threw up her hands.

“No,” Aubrey continued, “we have had a few disagreements.” She thought about it and realized the only problems they’d ever had was a direct result of her lack of ability to commit. She took a deep breath and realized that, as much as she hated to admit it, her father had passed his ability to not admit things onto her. “I screwed up,” she said out loud.

“How?” Elle asked.

“I told Aiden that I couldn’t commit to him,” she admitted.

“Couldn’t?” Hannah asked. “Or wouldn’t? You are in love with him, aren’t you? I mean, you moved in together and all.”

Aubrey thought about it and swallowed her pride. If her father could admit to his darkest fears, then maybe she could as well. Did she love Aiden?

Scenes of how they’d met to all the great times they’d shared over the last three years played in her head.

He was the only man she trusted, completely.

“You love us, right?” Zoey asked.

“Of course,” she answered quickly. “You’re my sisters.” She held out her hands, and they all shifted into a circle, holding each other’s hands.

“Love is easy,” Zoey said softly. “When it’s with the right people.” She smiled and Aubrey watched in horror as