Reborn to Leave Her Behind novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: The Envelope

Rhett Stroud climbed out of his truck and walked across my mother's lawn.

"Evening, Hartigan," he said. "Evening, Reeves."

Erin had gone stiff beside me.

"I was going to tell you," she said to Rhett.

"Tell me what? That you cashed your grandma's check behind my back?" He smiled, and the chipped tooth showed. "I'm not mad. I just want to know where it is."

"It's for tuition," I said.

"I wasn't asking you."

He did not even look at me.

He held out his hand, palm up, and waited.

My fingers tightened on the envelope.

In my first life I had never faced him on this lawn.

I had told her mother and let Mrs. Hartigan deal with him.

"It's her money," I said. "Erin, is this what you want?"

I turned and looked at her.

She was staring at the grass.

Her whole body was pulled in, shoulders high and hands pressed together between her knees.

"Erin?"

"Give it to him," she said.

"It's three thousand dollars."

"Please." She lifted her face, and her eyes were wet. "He said he'd leave. He said if I didn't trust him, we were done. I can't do that. I can't do it again."

"Do what again?"

"Be on my own."

I stood up from the steps.

Rhett's hand was still out.

He had not blinked.

"Last chance," I said to her. "Tell me to keep it and I'll keep it. Your mom doesn't even have to hear about it."

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