Page 43 of Tangled Up

“Sorry.” I lift my chin. “My family wasn’t into religion.”

“I remember. How’s your dad?”

“Same.”

“Sorry about that.” He says it in the same deadpan tone as his sister, and I shake my head.

“Yeah, me too.” Picking at the label on the neck of my beer, I glance over at him. “You’d have made a good pastor. You’re good at the whole confession thing.”

His blue eyes narrow. “What do you need to confess this time?”

My jaw clenches. Henry was the first person I called after the accident, after I lost the life. I told him what happened, and he told me God forgave me. I did all I could, he’d said. I had to forgive myself.

Only I didn’t tell him everything.

And I could never forgive myself.

“I had a moment in the ER when they brought Mr. C back.” My throat tightens, and those old feelings sting in my chest. “It was like a panic attack.”

“That’s pretty serious, Beck. Have you talked to someone about it?”

“Yeah.” My conversation with Lars is a persistent, unchecked item on my To-Do list. “I got some good advice.”

“So your being here is about therapy?”

I’m not ready to go there just yet.

“When Mr. C was on that table, you know what he said when he woke up?” I glance over at my friend. “He asked me if we were stealing his watermelons again.”

“Oh, man, I forgot about that.” Henry exhales a laugh, sliding his hand over his mouth. “That was a good watermelon.”

We’d stolen it and brought it down here. Henry split it on the concrete into four pieces, and we all sat on the sand at the water’s edge slurping away and spitting seeds.

“Itwasgood.” Hot emotion squeezes the breath in my lungs. “I realized how much I’d lost when he said that. I had to come here, even if she was gone. I needed to see this place again.” Hesitating, I decide to lay it all on the table. “Then shewashere. It was like I’d been given one last chance to make it right.”

Last. The word hurts to think. She can’t be finished with what we had. If she were, she wouldn’t have come to my house. Twice.

Henry watches the breakers as he sips his beer. After a few beats, he glances over at me. “What are you planning to do?”

“I’m going to tell her everything.”

Poking out his lips, he nods. “If you think that’s what you need to do.”

“It’s the only way I’ll know if she can forgive me.”

Even if she can’t, and I’ll never get her back, it’s the only way I’ll be free.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

CARLY

“You girls don’t keep me up all night with your giggling.” Aunt Viv kisses the top of my head before shuffling to her bedroom in the back of the house.

Her tone is fussy, but I catch a grin on her lips. I know she likes having us here.

“Have to believe we are magic…” Jess sings from the other end of the couch.

I join in at the top of my lungs. “Nothing can stand in our way!”

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