Page 83 of Since Always

“Well, it’s just… I don’t know what the hell happened between you and Mark, Owen. I really don’t, and I’m going to be honest, I don’t care. You were a part of this family and I feel like when we lost Kait, we lost you, too. Now, I’m not dumb or blind. I know that you and Kaitlyn were having some problems before she passed, and I’ve always felt like you felt some guilt about that. But I knew my daughter better than anyone in the world, and I knew…” She trails off, shifting uncomfortably.

“I knew about that guy. I knew what was happening between you two wasn’t your fault. And I’m sorry if Mark or his father made you feel worse when it wasn’t…”

“No, Patty, I promise you, you don’t know the whole story. It was not just Kaitlyn’s fault. We were both so young and so caught up in our own things. We both… well, it takes two, you know?”

She sighs and glances towards the house behind her. “I do. I can tell you that I do understand that completely. Well, anyway. I won’t keep you boys, but I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time that I know something between you and our family broke that day, and I understand that. But, I still care about you, and for what it’s worth, I’m really happy my daughter had you, for however long she did.”

There is a catch in my throat when I respond. “I’m happy I had her, too. And I am so sorry for everything that went wrong.”

She nods, her eyes full of tears. “Life is complicated and hard. We can’t spend it living in the past. And we can’t spend it angry at one another or bottling up things we need to say.

I give her one more big hug, feeling so much of the pain that I’ve been carrying around me somehow releasing in her embrace.

“I wish I could give her back to you,” I whisper in her ear before pulling back.

“I have her,” she says quietly. “She is with me every day. You don’t owe me—or any of us—anything. Live a good life, that’s all I ask.”

As we pull out of the driveway, I find myself still choked up by her words.

“She’s right, you know,” I finally say to Chris, who hasn’t looked up from his phone since he got in the car. “Life’s too short to be mad at one another.”

He snorts. “Cute, but somehow I’m mad just the same.”

“So this is really it, man? 30 years of friendship that you’re just gonna piss down the drain?”

He sighs, letting his head hit the seat behind him and closing his eyes.

“Can we just not talk about this anymore? I just want to get home and then I want you and my sister to get out of my house and go do whatever the fuck you want to do and leave me out of it. I’m too busy to deal with your shit.”

“Fine,” I say.

“Yeah,” he says, his voice full of bitterness. “Just fine.”

CHAPTER 27

Cassidy

"So, it's over," I say to Owen as we walk back into his house, both collapsing on the nearest couch.

"I guess so, I think we've kept the fallout as small as possible. I'm really sorry for how Chris took it, though. You guys will be okay. It's just going to take a little time. Once he sees that we really are not together anymore, he will get over it. At least, with you he will."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting back a headache. "Honestly, I don't care. I'm so mad at him right now. I mean, I knew it would upset him, but that was uncalled for."

"He's just protective. You know how much he loves you."

"Real nice way of showing it."

"Well, that's your brother. He is who he is, Cass."

"Yeah, I guess so. And I guess you and I are who we are, too. Creating problems wherever we go."

He looks at me sadly, brushing a hair that has fallen in front of my eyes.

"I guess we are."

"It's back to friends, huh?" I ask, and I know my voice is shaky.

"In another life, Cassidy Sloane, I would have given you my whole heart."

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