it against me. I won’t disgust them. They won’t try to pity me.
Drake taught me that.
“Is that…it?” she whispers. Her eyes are filled, like they have been for the past thirty minutes, with tears.
“Isn’t that enough?”
“Of course…I mean…oh, God. I…don’t even know what to say. To think of all the times I had the nerve to complain about my father. Mea, you must have hated me!” Her shame is cutting her deep. Her chest is caving in from the pain of it, and I go to her now. Because I’m ready to hug her.
I sling my arm around her shoulder, and she immediately curls into me. “Of course I didn’t. Because that was your struggle. Just because it was different from mine didn’t make it any less real. And you had no idea. I couldn’t talk about it then. Drake made me stronger. He made me feel safe enough to share. And now I need your help, because I’m afraid Mikah will go after him.”
Greta sits up straighter. “Would he?”
I stand, frustration eating me up from within. I take a page out of Drake’s book and pace the room. Wearing a line into the carpet. Tugging at my hair. “I think he would. He told me he’d never let him hurt me again. I believe he meant it. And Carlos is making himself a threat again. Mikah will never allow that to continue.”
Greta’s eyes narrow. “What do you want to do? Have you called Drake?”
“He didn’t answer. He’s got his own family stuff going on right now. He didn’t even say when he’d be back, or how long it would be until I heard from him. I can’t wait. I need to find Mikah.”
Greta’s face is set, determination apparent in the steely blue of her eyes. “I’m not letting you go looking for him by yourself.”
I offer her a small smile. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“And I’m calling Grisham.” She pulls out her phone, her slender finger swiping across the screen while she studies her cell.
Mine dings from somewhere inside my purse. I grab my purse from the coffee table, searching through it until I find the thing. Pulling it out, my heart leaps when I see Mikah’s name on my screen.
I love you. I told you once I’d never let him hurt you again. I’m keeping that promise.
“Greta!” I scream. My blood races toward my head, causing me to feel dizzy and disoriented. My hand shakes as I hand my phone out for her to take. She’s midconversation with Grisham, and she tells him to hold on as she reads Mikah’s text. When her face pales and her lips stretch out into a grim line, I know I’m right to jump to conclusions.
Mikah has gone to confront Carlos. For me.
27
Drake
Even though it’s dark when I leave Sandra’s house, I drive the hour straight to Athens. Checking into a hotel, I pull out my phone. I’m still not right in the head from the revelations I discovered about my mother. I never had a clue what she went through when she was young. Her life just went so horribly wrong. And all it would have taken was one different decision on her part, in any number of places, to force a change. I flipped through scenarios again and again in my mind as I drove.
But I know that it doesn’t matter. Any way I figure it, she still comes out the loser in the end.
Tomorrow, I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I’m going to find my father. I’m going to search for Richard Walsh until I find an address, and then I’m going to knock on his front door. I owe it to my mother to meet him. To tell him I exist.
I’m sure my showing up is going to do all kinds of fucked-up things to his day. I imagine he has a family. A wife. Kids.
Kids?
That would mean I have siblings.
Damn.
This is a mind fuck I’m in no way prepared for.
Once I check into a hotel and drag myself into my room, I flop onto the bed and pull my phone from my pocket. There’s a voice mail from Will, undoubtedly giving me a rundown on the day at the garage. There’s also a text from Mea.
Seeing her name on my screen does something drastic to my insides. It soothes me and ratchets me up at the same time. I close my eyes, picturing her lying here beside me. She’d offered to stay