“I’ve been taking lessons on how not to be a dictator. Now do you want me to take care of it or not?”

“Sure. I wanted to do it myself, but he scared me the last time I was there.”

“Did he touch you?” Gavin’s tone had turned lethal.

“No, not at all. But I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t. I left his home, and when I turned around, he was watching me.” She paused and bit her lip, then sighed. “I’m sorry, Gavin. I’ve been so stupid.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve been angry with you.”

“No kidding.”

“But it was more than you, I was mad at myself too. Mostly I was angry with you because you took the choice to handle Mitchell away from me.” She sighed. “I knew he was into some drugs, but I thought it was just occasionally and he never did them around me. I thought he was in love with me and would change. For me. When you caught him with the drugs at Mom and Dad’s, it was a punch in the gut. I hated you for finding them and him for having them and I hated myself for thinking I could convince him to quit. But he obviously wasn’t going to—and I couldn’t make him. It made me sad and angry and spiteful. That night in the professor’s house when I wasn’t sure what he was going to do, I realized that I was wrong. Sometimes you need someone to step in and save you from yourself.” She stood and hugged him. “So . . . thanks.”

Sarah swiped a tear. Kaylynn was wise beyond her years. Sometimes you need someone to step in and save you from yourself. So true.

“Anyway, thanks. I won’t go back to his class until this is taken care of.”

Gavin turned to Sarah. “Will you be all right for a little while?”

“Of course.” She smiled. “This will give Kaylynn and me a chance to get to know each other a little better.”

Kaylynn grinned through a sheen of tears. “I’ve got stories.”

“Oh . . . do tell.”

CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT

OCTOBER

Sarah stood in the doorway of her empty apartment and drew in a deep breath. “Bye, Mom,” she whispered.

“Anything else?” Gavin asked, coming up the steps. Sweat dripped from his temples in spite of the cool October air.

She turned. “No. Thank you for helping.”

“Of course. Are you sure about this?”