Page 108 of Almost Yours
She nods slowly, processing. I can see the hurt in her eyes, though she’s trying to hide it. “I understand why someone from your past would reach out if they’re struggling. But I don’t understand why you felt you couldn’t tell me.”
“Violet—”
“We live together, Rowan.” Her voice catches slightly. “We share everything.”
I step closer, relieved when she doesn’t back away. “I know. I should have told you. I just didn’t want you to think there was anything between Melissa and me now or that I was hiding something.”
“But youwerehiding something,” she says quietly. Her eyes meet mine, steady and clear despite the pain in them.
Goddammit. I’m just standing here hurting her like I always do. “You’re right,” I say, the admission scraping my throat raw. “And I’m sorry for that.”
Violet stares off into the distance for a second. “I need to understand something.” She pauses. “When you say you helped her get clean, what exactly does that mean? What kind of relationship did you have with her?”
I lean against the stable wall, trying to find the right words. “After that one night, I found her overdosed in her apartment. I got her to the hospital, and when she came out, she had nowhere to go. So I let her crash on my couch while she tried to get back on her feet.”
Violet’s eyes widen slightly. “She lived with you?”
“For a few months, yeah.” I can’t lie or sugarcoat this. “It wasn’t romantic. It was… I don’t know what it was. Guilt, maybe. Or just not wanting to see someone else destroy themselves when I could do something about it.”
Her arms unfold from around herself, and I can see the gears turning in her mind, the hurt shifting into understanding.
“I didn’t even think about your sister, Rowan. I’m sorry.”
I immediately shake my head. “No, don’t apologize. Yes, that’s part of the reason any of this happened in the first place, but it doesn’t excuse me not bringing it up.”
She presses a hand to her chest, taking a slow breath. “And there was nothing between you two the last time you saw her?”
“No, Violet. Not at all.”
Fuck, I’m such a dick. This is exactly why I wanted to keep all of this away from her. I don’t want to give her any reason,ever, to doubt what I have with her now.
“What are you going to do?” she finally asks. “Are you going to help her?”
WhatamI going to do? I’ve been asking myself that for weeks.
“I’ve looked into a few programs.” I shrug. “Places that could take her. But I wasn’t going to do anything unless she agreed to it.”
She nods, green eyes as serious as ever. “I understand why you feel the way you do, and she clearly needs help, but…Rowan, I need to know that you’re not going to let her becomeourproblem.”
I nod, understanding exactly what she’s saying. She’s being way more considerate than she needs to be. She has every right to be angry with me right now, but…this is Violet.
“I’ll put her in touch with a program or something. That’s it.”
Relief softens Violet’s features. “I think that would be a good idea.”
I pull her into my arms, breathing in the scent of her hair. She smells like hay and sunshine and everything good in my world. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” she says.
Her fingers trace small circles on my back, and some of the tension starts to drain from my shoulders. We stand there for a moment, just holding each other.
“I should call her back,” I say finally. “Get her connected with someone who can actually help.”
Violet pulls back just enough to look up at me. “Do you want me to give you some space?”
“No.” The word comes out firmer than I intend. “Stay. Please.”
She nods, settling onto a hay bale while I pull out my phone. The list of missed calls from Melissa scrolls on for what seems like forever. I take a deep breath and hit the Call Back button.
