Five Years Gone, She Walked Back In, So I Walked Out novel · Chapter 12 of 24

Chapter 12: Tuesday, Again

"Tuesday," Sawyer said.

Nobody in the hall made a sound.

"Tuesday," I said.

"Lorna came to the yard office. She brought the stub. I went to your father on Sunday morning, before the sun was up, and he threatened to sell the pier lease if I told you."

"Sunday morning."

"Yes."

"The morning you left my bed."

He flinched.

"I had five days before Sunday," he said. "I looked at you across the porch, and the kite, and I had the stub in my pocket every minute. I didn't know how to say it."

"You said ask him."

"I thought if it came from your father, it wouldn't be me who..."

"Who what?"

"Who took it away from you." His voice broke. "You told me once that you used to think you were lucky. Do you remember? The night Poppy was born."

I did.

I had said it with my head on his arm, half asleep. *I got lucky, didn't I? I really did.*

He had kissed my hair and not answered.

"I was going to let you keep it," he said. "For as long as I could."

"That wasn't yours to decide."

"I know."

"You decided it for me twice." My voice shook, and I made it stop. "You let go of me on the floor, and then you let me go on believing."

"Stevie."

"Do you want to hear what I thought, standing in your mother's living room?"

He nodded.

"I thought you were still waiting for her," I said. "That every kind thing you did for me in five years was a man being decent to the person who got left holding the wedding."

"That's not true."

"Then say what is true."

He stood there with his whole chest rising and falling.

"I'm not sure you'd believe it from me," he said. "Not after this."

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