Page 114 of Keepsake

“With more ammunition against you? You have to be smarter than this.”

“Shit, Logan, you’re the legal guardian. Who cares what I do?”

And it finally came to me. I stumbled back. “You were never staying with me. You were paying David and moving on.”

“Moving on is not the word I’d use.”

“Leave me. Leave the kids. Go on with your life. That’s better?”

“That’s not fair, and you know it.”

“No, it’s fucking not!” It was my turn to roar. “You’ve been asking me to trust you, Alvaro. You told me you got me.”

The vein in his neck popped. “And this is me protecting you.”

“This is you hiding shit from me. I have money. I have ways to deal with this…”

“I didn’t want—”

“What? To tell me you fucked up? I needed to know. For us, for the kids. So sure, make the money and disappear on me. What about them? You’re their uncle.”

“They never needed me before. They would be fine.”

“We all need you.” My voice sounded broken even to my ears. “But sure, do that. Have your sacrificing moment. I’ll pay David. But you can go ahead and put me in the past.”

“Logan, I was…”

“Whatever you were doing. I needed you to tell me.”

His jaw was set, bloody hands shaking. I pieced together all the times I saw those bloody knuckles. All the times he lied to me. Even when I met him at Sofia’s funeral, he had a split lip.

I wasn’t sure what hurt me the most. Was it the lies? Was it the way he dealt with it? Or was it how he was planning on leaving rather than telling me what David had on him?

I was just hurt, broken, and tired.

I moved to my car in a haze, ignoring everything and everyone in my way. I wanted to get home, cuddle with the kids and forget that once I thought everything was going to be fine.

Myeyesranthroughthe last paragraph one more time with a sigh before I lowered the papers onto the table.

Dashiell watched me in silence, his left leg hopping up and down while he waited for me to finish reading his essay.

“You’re a good writer,” I simply said.

And that was enough to make him groan, putting his head on his hands. I had to laugh.

“What?”

“You’re looking at me like I have a future or something.”

I snorted. “Oh well, I know that goes against your overall aesthetic, but you’re smart and talented.”

He lifted his gaze to mine, a flicker of pride passing through his honey-colored eyes. “And you really think it’s good? Not just because you want me to…” he trailed off.

“To go to college?” I arched an eyebrow, and he moved his gaze from me, making me chuckle. “Oh, yeah, I’m a horrible person because I want you to go to college. What else is out there?”

“I’m not Ivy League material, Lo.”

I had to ignore my melting heart every time they called me Lo like Sofia used to do. It was a huge step forward, and if that same heart wasn’t breaking because of the other Castillo, I’d say life was full. Perfect even.

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