Page 27 of The Fate of Us

“Go first,” she says to me.

“I shouldn’t have said those things to you. You aren’t a bitch. I just—it hurt knowing that you knew and didn’t tell me. God, so many things would be different if I had known.”

“I never meant to hurt you, Anna May,” Jess says as she grabs my arm. “I thought I was helping by not letting you know what Becca did. In hindsight, it was wrong and I should have told you.”

I sigh as I look over at her, taking a sip of my drink. “I just wish I didn’t lose all this time with you. With Mom and Dad. And I’m not blaming you for that. It’s my own fault. I shouldn’t have been the selfish one. I should have come home. I should have told you all sooner.”

“You were hurting. None of us blame you for that.”

“It’s been seven years, Jess. Seven years I’ve lost out on.” Tears stream down my cheeks as I talk. “God, I don’t know why I was so stupid. Why I let this all go on for so long. I should not be blaming you for my mistakes, Jess.”

My sister wraps me in a hug, crying with me. “But we have each other now. We have our time back.”

I cry into my sister’s shoulder; happy she is optimistic. I’ve missed her over the last seven years. Our few strained phone conversations were not enough to make me feel like we had a relationship. But now that I am putting everything behind me, I know that I can finally have that relationship with my sister I used to have.

I pull back from her and wipe my tears. “I’m sorry I ruined your engagement party.”

She laughs. “Please. You did not ruin it. You know I never would have wanted such a stifling party but I had to do it for Connor’s parents.”

“Well I am sure I made a great impression on them.”

“Who cares?” she says, throwing her hands in the air. “I don’t. Plus, now Connor and I can have the party we wanted to have. At a bar. With our friends.”

“I hope I’m invited,” I tease.

“Only if you promise more drama will happen!”

I roll my eyes at her as I punch her in the arm. “Oh I will find a way, brat.”

Jess laughs until her face turns solemn. “There is something else I need to tell you.”

My smile fades as I see her serious expression.

“Becca told me something the other night. She came over here trying to… I don’t even know what. Cause more problems, I guess.”

I try to calm the anger in my veins, but the fury is red hot. “Whatever Becca said can’t be true.”

“I hope it’s not. I really do. Because I don’t think we’ll be okay if it is.”

A million thoughts fly through my head about what the hell Becca could have said that could be any worse than what she already did.

“Remember that night I got assaulted?”

I nod, not liking where this is going. Jess was wrecked after that, who wouldn’t be. It took her almost a year to get back to herself. And it hurt so bad that I wasn’t there for her when it happened. That I wasn’t there to stop it.

“Becca said it was Kyle.”

I knock my glass over that is sitting next to me, the rage inside of me burning like a supernova. I brush the ice off the steps and into the yard. “What the fuck, Jess?”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea. I didn’t—”

“What are you talking about? One, this is not your fault. Don’t apologize for being assaulted. Two, it wasn’t Kyle.”

“But—but she—” Jess quivers.

“He wasn’t there that night. I know for a fact. We were on a date, remember? You begged me to take you to that party but I told you I wouldn’t and I told you not to go. Of course you didn’t listen because you are you. And you know I kicked myself so much for not showing up after our date. Do you remember that? Remember why I wouldn’t go?”

Her eyes go wide as the memory hits her. “It was your anniversary.”

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