Page 24 of Save Me

Daniel sighs. "You're goin' to have to tell her, man. She deserves to know. Especially since it involves her sister."

"Yeah, I know." I scrub a hand down my face, my heart pulsing with anxiety. I don't want to tell her, though. Because I'm seriously fucking worried once I do, she'll hate me.

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know who they were or why they were there," Daniel murmurs. "You can't blame yourself for not being able to tell the future."

That's easy for him to say. He wasn't in the parking garage the day my father was murdered. He didn't see the men sneaking inside. And he didn't drive off anyway, deciding it was someone else's problem. That was all me.

An hour later, my father was dead.

Isla thinks my mother is the only reason I've let everyone say what they have about me—why I've let them blame me and said nothing to defend myself—but that isn't the full truth. Like I told Isla last night, the truth isn't butterflies and rainbows. And people aren't wrong about me.

My father is dead, and her sister is in hiding because I just didn't care enough about strangers in the parking garage to pick up the goddamn phone. I thought they were lost and would figure out they were in the wrong place on their own. I thought maybe they wanted to rob the place and I didn't really give a shit about that, either.

And the worst fucking part is that, as much as I regret that Bella got caught in the middle—that her life is in danger—I don't feel a goddamn second of guilt over the fact that they killed my father.

How the hell am I supposed to tell her that?

I don't know. But eventually, I'm going to have to tell her because Daniel is right. She deserves the truth.

Chapter Six

Isla

"Mac Sterling, put that back right now."

I step into my parents' kitchen just in time to see my dad grab a cookie from the tray in front of my mom, Jenna. She swats at him, trying to grab it back, but there's no stopping my dad when it comes to sweets. He shoves the whole thing in his mouth, smirking as he pulls her into his arms.

"Put what back?" he asks around a mouthful.

My mom huffs, scowling up at him. "These are for Duke's bake sale."

"So, charge me, Dimples." He dips his head, brushing his lips across hers. "You know I'm buying the fucking things anyway. You made them."

She sighs quietly, and then laughs against his lips. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Damn right, I am. You're mine. That means your cookies are mine, too." His hand slips down her back, heading toward her ass.

I quickly clear my throat, letting them know I'm here before I see things I'll never be old enough to see. There's a reason we have two little brothers and a sister. He's the reason. He's shameless when it comes to my mom. He always has been.

My mom springs away from him, her eyes lighting up when she spots me standing in the doorway. "Baby girl! I'm so happy you're home!" she cries, rushing across the room to hug me like she hasn't seen me in weeks even though I was just here yesterday morning.

That's the thing about her, though. From the very first day she came into our lives when Bella and I were little girls, she's given us every piece of her heart. She loves us like we're her own, and my twin and I have always loved her the same way.

When we were little, we used to wish that she'd been our real mom instead of Marion. And then we realized that, in every way that counts, sheisour real mom. She may not have given birth to me and Bella like she did our brothers and sister, but that doesn't change the fact that she's always been the one who loved us unconditionally, was there for us, protected us, helped provide for us, and made sure we knew, every single day, that we were enough exactly the way we were. She's always loved us the same way she loves Duke, Elliot, and Morgan.

"Hi, Mama." I squeeze her tight, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Is he misbehaving again?"

She laughs quietly, peeking over her shoulder at my dad, who grins at us. "Isn't he always?"

"Watch it, baby doll," he growls, narrowing his eyes on her as he leans back against the counter, crossing his arms. His eyes come to me, his expression soft. "Hey, pirate princess."

"Hi, Daddy. Why are you home today?"

"Helping your mom bake for your brother's bake sale."

Mom rolls her eyes. "He needs to get out of my kitchen and leave me alone is what he needs to do. He's eating them as fast as I get them finished."

Dad grins, completely unrepentant, and then he cocks his head to the side, looking at me again. "Why didn't you come home last night?"

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