Page 9 of The Life We Left Behind

“Cade’s game is tomorrow afternoon. Do you want me to book you a rental for the following day?” I asked her, turning to see Blake smirking at me. “What?”

“You and your notebooks. It’s adorable,” she joked. “And yeah, that sounds good. We’re going to be there for a while, right? I might take some of my paints and stuff. Maybe get some work in if the inspiration hits me.”

“Okay, well, I’ll leave you my credit card and you can use that to grab gas and food and whatever.”

I could see she was getting ready to argue with me over it, but the reality was I knew Blake’s financial situation, and I could afford this, whereas she couldn’t. Aunt Adelaide was a big-shot marketing executive, and she left me everything. Just because I still lived in this little apartment didn’t mean I couldn’t afford to move. I’d once thought I’d follow in her footsteps, but it soon became screamingly apparent that it made me miserable. After she died, I left all that behind, and I’d been trying to figure outwhat I wanted to do ever since. It felt like that was why she’d left her estate to me, and I’d be forever grateful for it.

“Just take it, Blake. And use it. I’ll just Venmo it to you if you don’t.” It was a threat I’d made before and also one I’d followed through on, so she knew there was no getting away from it.

Blake sank back onto the couch with a sigh. It had been tough getting to where she was now. She was making money with her art, and no one worked harder than she did. She hated accepting help, and part of me thought it was the lasting damage from her parents’ lack of faith in her. Blake was so adamant about making it on her own, and even though I was proud of her for it, it also infuriated the hell out of me most days.

“Fine.” It was a huffed acceptance, but I’d take it. “I hate this,” she muttered quietly.

“I know you do. But I’ve seen your work. I’ve seen how you’ve blossomed over the last couple of years. And now I’m not the only one. Keep doing what you’re doing, and soon, this is all going to be behind you, and we’ll be trying to remind this big-shot artist who used to live down the hall from us that we were once her friends.”

Her head whipped in my direction as her wide, sad eyes blazed with a hint of the fire I’d come to love about her. “Never! I’d never forget about you and Cade. You’re my family.”

And we were.

We were all each other had now.

“I can’t wait for the day the world sits up and finally takes notice of your amazing talent.” I’d said it to her before, and it was a sentiment I truly felt.

Blake was a star that was going to shine so brightly that the whole world wouldn’t be able to look away from her.

“What time are you leaving?” she asked, changing the subject. She always did. Talking about her talent and inevitable success always made her uncomfortable. I didn’t know if it wasbecause she didn’t want to jinx it or if she had too many voices in her head telling her that it wasn’t true. Either way, I’d always be her biggest supporter and here to remind her of the truth when she needed it.

I looked around the little apartment and sighed. Even though I’d love nothing more than to bury my head in the sand and never leave this place, I owed it to my father to at least do this. To be a big enough adult to face my fears and lay him to rest with the respect he deserved. What was the worst that could happen? People would gossip about me? So what! They’d probably been doing that since I slipped away in the night and never returned. Really, when you thought about it, the reason why was so glaringly obvious that I’d honestly be disappointed in the town if they hadn’t figured it out yet.

I didn’t have anything to be ashamed of. Yes, I’d had a kid at probably an inappropriately young age. But I stepped up and handled that responsibility, unlike someone else I didn’t feel like mentioning. Cade was an incredible kid. I was so proud of him. It hurts sometimes, but I could never be ashamed of him.

“I’m going to leave around 11:30, and I should be in Willowbrook by six-ish if I only stop once.” I felt more prepared for what I needed to do, even if I was still worried about what it would be like to face Trace again. I hadn’t seen him since I’d left town, and there was no way I’d be able to avoid him completely.

Did I even want to?

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t dreamed of telling Trace exactly what I thought of him now. Of hurting him even a fraction of what he’d made me feel.

But that was a long time ago, and I’d learned to deal with that anger. I wasn’t even sure if it was still there anymore.

I’d like to say that it had been years since I’d even thought of him. But I couldn’t, and I had no idea why that was.

Except that was a lie.

I did know.

Because it was Trace, and some days I didn’t think I’d ever completely let him go.

CHAPTER FOUR

DELANEY

The leather of the steering wheel creaked beneath my hands as I stared at my white knuckles, mesmerized by the sight for some reason. It was better than looking up and seeing the house I’d grown up in, which was so different now. What had once been a place of warmth and comfort looked so empty.

I’d been sitting in the rental car for nearly an hour now, avoiding the inevitability of stepping through that front door. What was I even going to find inside? It wouldn’t be my father’s welcoming arms and a fire blazing away in the fireplace. It wouldn’t be the smell of dinner drifting through the house as I frantically tried to finish the last piece of homework.

Those days were gone now.

This place, which had once been a home, had transformed into nothing more than an empty old house. Even the memories felt covered in dust. It had been that long since I’d let myself think of them.

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