Page 54 of Evil Queen

I tried to blame it on the sentence’s complicated phrasing when I said, “I don’t understand,” but it was more that I didn’t understand how Cherri getting in trouble at that time wouldn’t have been my fault. If I could have prevented it and didn’t, that made it my fault.

“There’s a difference between robbing a store and harboring the fugitive.”

“Both are wrong,” I said.

“Correct, but one is self-inflicted, and the other is self-imposed.”

“Aren’t those the same thing?” I asked.

She laughed. “You and I both know that you know they aren’t.”

“Well, all I’ve got right now is giving until I figure out the next step of forgiveness. Is that such a bad thing?” I asked.

“No, but what you’ll find is that people will always accept gifts. Even though Cherri claims to be angry at you and has even said not to help her, she’s always accepted your help. She could have easily turned herself in or asked the teacher who accepted your bribe not to look the other way, but she did anyway. People will always accept gifts. Until they’re ready to truly accept you, nothing will make a difference.”

“Is it bad to give them gifts until then?” I asked. “As long as I know that’s not what’s affecting whether or not they’re choosing to forgive me?”

“No, but you have to be careful,” Nicole said. “If you’ve passed the point of no return, then you’re beating a very expensive dead horse.”

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