Page 69 of Unrequited (Woodlands 4)

"What?" she cried. She pushed by me and ran to my room. I heard drawers opened and slammed shut. The closet door creaked as she opened it. She ran back. "What’s going on?"

"I'm moving into Tucker's extra room."

"What about me?" She threw her arms open wide. “What about your niece or nephew?”

"Margo says there's a church family she knows who will take you in if you don't want to live by yourself or if you don't feel you can." I drew in a shaky breath and then another. This was really hard. Margo had said it would be hard. She’d offered to come by and hold my hand, but I had said no. The Donovans, both of us, were going to have to learn to stand on our own two feet.

"A church family? Wait, you were talking to my sponsor?" Bewilderment colored her tone, and she stumbled back, her hands falling to her side.

"Yes, I talked to your sponsor. I told her that I couldn't stay here with you, and she said there were a few options for you including this family."

"Why are

you acting like this?" Her hands reached for me, but I stepped aside.

Margo had told me to be honest.

"Because I love both of you, and you both hurt me very badly. I need time away from you so I can remember how much I do love you. You are killing my love for you. I have tried so hard to be strong for you, Ivy, because you’ve been there for me. But I can't do it any longer. My whole life has been sacrifices so that you could get well. But I cannot be the staff you lean on every time you feel weak. Because you don't feel weak occasionally. You feel weak all the time."

"I can't believe you’re abandoning me. You’re leaving me like trash on the corner."

I wiped the tears from my eyes. "You need to learn not to say things like that to me. I closed our joint account. You have enough in savings to pay your rent until you have your baby. That's about five months. It's all the money we have left from Mom and Dad. I'm taking the car. It's an even trade."

"Winter, don't do this to me."

If she had said one word about me, I might have stayed, but she was stuck in her own world and her own bubble. Margo had been thrilled when I’d called her, saying it was the thing that Ivy needed to move on. "I'm doing this for both of us," I said. I could barely get the words out. My throat was clogged with so much emotion, so much love and fear, that it threatened to choke me.

"You’re being a selfish bitch," she raged. She stepped forward, and her four inches on me felt looming and intimidating.

"Yes, I am. I love you, Ivy. But yes, for once I'm being selfish." I picked up my purse and walked out.

When I got to Tucker's, everyone was there—Omar, Gig, and Rachel. Rachel held me while I cried, and the guys made homemade pizza.

25

FINN

Winter wouldn't talk to me. I called and texted but got nothing back. I guessed she was either ignoring me or blocking me. Either way I was shut out. Ivy came to work every day, to my surprise. At first she’d looked smug, and then one day—the day after I’d showed up at Atra—she came in looking shattered.

I broke my silence. "What happened?"

"Winter moved out," she answered in a disbelieving tone.

I couldn't believe it either. "Where did she go?"

"She moved in with Tucker."

"She what?" I shouted, fists at my side.

"She moved into Tucker's spare room. She left me enough rent to last me until the baby comes. What am I going to do?" She laid her head on the desk and cried.

I’d lived through enough of Ivy Donovan’s tears. I didn’t need to see this show again.

I slammed out of the trailer and drove like a demon over to Atra.

"Where the fuck is Tucker?" I demanded.

"Right here, asshole." The man himself stepped up from behind one of the shielded stations. His hands were encased in blue rubber gloves, and there were ink stains all over them. I wanted to deck him.

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