Page 54 of Never Forget
Something crossed his face. There and gone, so fast I almost missed it.
Then he smiled.
"Havensworth might disagree." He leaned back in his chair, completely at ease. "But it's nice to know you still think about our time together with such fondness."
My vision went white.
I was on my feet before I knew I'd moved. Every muscle in my body was coiled tight, and the only thing keeping my handsat my sides was the fact that we were in an office full of lawyers where I could be sued for assault.
"I think we're done here."
Bryce looked up at me. His expression didn't change, but something shifted behind his eyes—a flicker of satisfaction, like he'd gotten exactly what he wanted.
"Of course." He stood, smooth and unhurried. "Jamie, my door is always open if you'd like to discuss this further. I really do want to help."
Jamie didn't respond. She gathered her folder and walked out of the room without looking back.
I followed her. I didn't trust myself to speak until we were in the elevator.
She was staring straight ahead. Her face was blank, but I could see the tremor in her hands.
"Jamie—"
"Don't." Her voice was steady. Too steady. "Not here."
The elevator descended. Neither of us moved.
I thought about Bryce's smile. The way he'd saidour time togetherlike it was something she should be grateful for. The satisfaction in his eyes when he watched her walk out.
He wasn't just blocking the LODD appeal. He was sending a message.
I have power here. You don't.
The elevator doors opened. Jamie walked out into the lobby, her shoulders straight, her chin up.
I followed her into the winter cold, my hands still shaking.
CHAPTER 13
Jamie
He was reckless.
Bryce's voice played on a loop in my head. He said it like he was doing me a favor by explaining something I was too emotional to understand. He'd taken my brother's sacrifice and reframed it as a character flaw.
If you want to be taken seriously, you have to be honest about the culture that led to your brother's death.
I thought about what I'd wanted to do when he said it. If Sam hadn't been there, I wasn't sure I would have held my composure. His presence beside me had been like an anchor. He was the only thing keeping me from saying something I couldn't take back. Or doing something worse.
"Auntie Jamie?"
I blinked. Rosie was standing in front of me, holding up a piece of paper covered in crayon.
"Sorry, sweetheart." I sat up straighter and focused on her face. "What do you have there?"
"I made a picture." She held it closer, practically pressing it against my nose. "Can I add it to my stories?"
The stories.
