Chapter 13: In His Voice

Hailey held out one of the paper cups to me.

"Cocoa," she said. "You skipped breakfast again."

It was the kind I always ordered, with extra whipped cream. She had walked across campus to get it right.

I didn't take it.

"Hailey, read the page."

She looked at the phone in Caleb's hand. Her face went soft and wounded, the way it had on the dock.

"That's a notebook I wrote at fourteen," she said. "My mother had just died. I was a child, Abigail."

"You were twelve when she died. You were fourteen on that page."

"I was grieving." Her voice began to shake. "My aunt gave my private diary to a boy. You went through my things."

"She gave it to me," Caleb said. "I asked her for it."

"You asked my own family to spy on me?"

"I asked her one real question about you. It's the first one anyone ever did."

Hailey's eyes filled. A tear slid down her cheek and she let it fall.

I had watched that tear work on people for twelve years.

"I only want to ask you one thing," I said.

"Anything."

"In sophomore year, in your kitchen, you told me Caleb was tired of carrying me. Did he say that?"

"Abigail, I told you what I felt he was feeling."

"Did he say it?"

Her hand went to her chest. "I can't breathe. Cal, I can't, it's happening again..."

Caleb didn't move.

He stood with his phone at his side and his back against the window, and he looked at her.

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