Page 131 of Mountain Grump

---

Chapter 75

Tilda

I liftmy gaze and watch Ethan disappear into the trees.

I look back at my feet.

And I grimace when I flex my toes.

I didn’t mean to bring any of that up. I was trying to make him understand that this isn’t the worst thing I’ve experienced. But as soon as he told me totell him the truth, I knew it wasn’t going to go over well.

Usually, I wouldn’t share a story like that.

Usually, I wouldn’t admit such a shameful, outlandish thing.

But Ethan’s met them.

Her.

So I knew he’d believe me.

A branch breaks somewhere out of sight.

He definitely believed me.

Sighing, I gingerly get to my feet and carefully take the few steps to the bucket.

Chapter 76

Ethan

My chest heavesas I look down at the pile of branches by my feet.

I don’t feel any better.

I don’t think anything could make me feel better right now.

I can’t…

She saidwhen I was young.

When Tilda wasa child,her mother put her in painful clothing soher childwould want to lose weight.

My vision is blurry with anger as I think of my own mother.

She would’ve loved Tilda.

She would’ve loved every fucking thing about her.

She would never, not ever, have done that to her.

I can still hear my mom’s voice, telling me how perfect I was when I’d come home upset after someone teased me about my eye colors.

I can still hear her muffled voice from when I listened outside her door as she chewed out the school’s principal.

And that was just over words. If I’d been physically hurt…

She would’ve burned the world down.

---