Page 112 of Water's Edge

I will never talk about her. I stay mute and just stare at my long lost brother.

“Rylee, she misses you. She asks for you.”

My heart drops. It nearly makes a sound on the floor. A thud. I wonder if Hayden felt the vibration.

“Oh, God, are you telling me that you’ve seen her?”

He keeps his eyes riveted to mine. Testing me. “Once a week since I’ve been back.”

The room starts spinning and I steady myself. “She betrayed us, Hayden.”

“She’s our mom,” he tells me as though I need a lesson in biology. “You’ve never bothered to hear her side of what happened,” he says as though he’s her understanding lawyer.

I don’t say so. Not out loud, anyway. I’ve never needed to hear her side of any story. I knew who she was and what she did. Right then, however, my mind goes to Alex Rader. My serial killer father.

Hayden’s father.

A secret I’ve kept.

“Let’s table this for now,” I finally say. “I have a spare room. Will you stay?”

He doesn’t answer right away. He lets me twist in the wind for a beat.

“Yeah. I will.”

I hold my breath. Despite everything our parents did, I want nothing more than to make this right with Hayden. Suddenly it feels as though he’s no longer just a link to the past, but a pathway to what I need to do. And that gives me hope. Hope is a very good thing.

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