Page 57 of Nova

''Me? How is Thomas having a heart attack, my fault?''

''Dad and I fought last night. He was saying it was my fault that you and Brad quit. He said I needed to get my act together, or he was going to kick me out of the house.''

''Wait a minute,'' I hold my hand up. ''Brad quit?'' This was news to me.

''Yes. He said he was moving back to Florida. Now, dad is blaming me for everything.''

''That's because you are to blame, Avery!'' Jackson cuts in. ''When you go around playing your little high school games and fucking with people's lives, there are consequences.''

''See! This is what I'm talking about. It's all about Promise. You and dad both have always liked her more than me.''

''Are you nuts! Thomas barely tolerates my existence.''

''Really,'' Avery sneers. ''Then why has he spent my whole life comparing me to you? Avery, why don't you make good grades like Promise? Avery, how come you can't stay out of trouble like your sister? Avery, why won't you go to college and make something of yourself like Promise?''

I stand here with my mouth gaped open because not once have I heard Thomas talk like that. He has not once given me praise.

At Avery's confession, things start clicking into place. Her extreme distaste for me. I have spent years baffled as to why my stepsister hated me so much. Now I know. And though it is no excuse for the horrible things she has done to me, I, to some degree, empathize with her.

Feeling Cain's heat at my back and his hands on my shoulders, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

''Excuse me.'' A nurse walks into the room. ''I'm going to have to ask that you all leave. We are getting complaints about the noise coming from this room. I'm going to have to ask you all to take your family dispute elsewhere.''

''No problem. I was just leaving,'' I say, looking at the nurse then at Jackson. Stepping out of Cain's hold, I hug Jackson. ''If you need anything, I want you to call me day or night. You can keep me updated on Thomas's condition, but I won't be back up here.''

Jackson squeezes me back and then gives me a look that says he understands. Finally, I turn my attention to Avery. "I'm sorry you were hurt by Thomas's constant comparison to me for all these years. A fact I knew nothing about considering the man never showed me anything but resentment. I wish things could have been different for us. I would have given anything to have a real sister. But the truth is, what happened to your dad is not on me. It's time you grow up Avery and take responsibility for your actions and the consequences caused by them.''

My parting words help to close a painful chapter in my life. Feeling a weight lifted from my shoulders, I walk out of the hospital, ready to start a new one.

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