Page 138 of Broken Lines

And I’m not afraid anymore.

“I mean this is the last time we’re going to speak.”

Our eyes lock, hers growing wide.

“Ever.”

I turn for the door.

“Melody.”

I start to open it.

“Melody,stop! Melody!”

I’m about to walk right through it and out of her life forever when she drops the bomb.

“If you walk away, you’ll never know.”

I stop.

Fuck.

Slowly, I glare back at her.

“Know what.”

She swallows, drawing herself up, her eyes narrowing as she smiles thinly at me.

“Who he is.”

My pulse skips a beat. I blink.

I know exactly what she means. I just hate so much that it’s working to stop me.

“Tell me.”

She purses her lips. My eyes narrow.

“Tell me who my dad is. Or was.”

Her lip curls.

“You already know, anyway.”

I stare at her, the floor dropping out as the room grows cold.

“It was Will, wasn’t it?”

She says nothing.

“Tell me.”

She turns slowly, lifting her credit card and the compact full of drugs off the vanity and scooping up a little bump.

“Judy!”

She ignores me as she sniffs the powder up her nose.

---