Page 108 of Windlass

Angie scoffed. “You know why.”

“Tell me again.”

“I run? Cheat on her? Lie to her? Emotionally manipulate her?”

“You haven’t cheated on anyone in years.”

“But Ihavecheated,” said Angie.

“Twice.” Stormy tapped her thumb against Angie’s hand two times for emphasis. “If I’m being honest, both times were with people you didn’t really care about and who deserved to lose you.”

“But what if—” Lana’s words rang in her head. “What if I run?”

“What usually makes you feel like you need to run?” Emilia asked.

“Happiness,” said Stormy, at the same time as Angie said, “Feeling trapped.”

Angie looked at Stormy. Happiness? That’s what Stormy thought she was afraid of?

“It’s not—I’m not afraid of happiness. I’m notcapableof happiness,and I’m afraid she’ll ruin herself trying to fix something that can’t be fixed.”

“You’re not broken, Angela.” Stormy rarely sounded so serious.

“Aren’t I?”

Stormy squeezed her hand. “No more than anyone else.”

“But I can’t—” She breathed in, then out. “She deserves someone whole.”

Now Stormy scoffed. “Put that nonsense back in the trash. She wantsyou.”

“Well, she’s an idiot, then.”

“You’re both idiots. It’s one of the reasons we love you.” Stormy kissed her forehead tenderly. Her dark eyes warned Angie she wasn’t going to like what came next.

Angie’s bones vibrated with premonition.

“Listen to me, Angie. You can’t let the selfish actions of one man dictate the rest of your life. Don’t give him that power. Don’t give any of them that power.”

Something in her chest imploded. She stared mutely at Stormy, seeking shelter in that familiar gaze. Emilia sat by silently, offering comfort with her presence.

“Stevie knows you,” Stormy continued in a firm, quiet voice. “No, sometimes love isn’t enough, but are you really going to walk away from the possibility of something incredible just because itmightnot work out?”

“But Stevie—”

“You’re already in it, girl. Do you think calling it off before you hurt her is going to make her feelgood? No. It’s going to hurt her even more because she’ll think you didn’t care enough about her to try.”

“But the people I loveleave me.” The words ripped out of her, hoarse and raw. Only Stormy could get her to talk like this, peeling her layer by layer, and she hated it.

“Incorrect, muffin.” Stormy did hug her, now, wrapping her up as tightly as swaddling. The vibration in her bones grew stronger until she shook with ugly, muffled sobs. “I’m here. We’re here. We’re not going anywhere.”

“You’ve mentioned emptiness in the past,” Emilia said.

Had she? Angie sobbed through a few more rough shaking breaths, then wiped her face, emerging from Stormy’s cleavage, and stared at Emilia.

“You’re not the only one with a void,” Emilia said in response to Angie’s unspoken question. Bluntly, she continued. “I tried to kill myself. Have I ever told you that?”

Angie shook her head as the pain of that statement twisted her gut. She knew Emilia had been depressed, but the details remained obscure. The very idea of Emilia hurting herself like that,permanently, scraped her raw. The set expression of Emilia’s jaw said thinking about that time was painful for her, too.

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