“It was the smart thing to do. You weren’t to know it wouldn’t get noticed until you were on a deserted road.”

“It was piss poor luck. That poor man.” Laura held back a sob.

After a moment of silence, Yael said, “You can talk to me, you know. If you need to.”

“Thank you. That reminds me.” Laura licked water off her lips.

Yael tensed.

“I overheard the nurses gossiping when I went up for the CT scan. I was half out of it at the time, but I woke up in the night when you were asleep and checked out the news headlines.”

Yael’s mouth parched and she looked away.

“Apparently, my best friend is notorious in Colorado under a different name. Who would have thought?” Laura shifted up the bed a little, obviously struggling to get comfortable. “I wish I’d known. I’d have been less pushy about trying to hook you up.”

“You’re not mad?” Yael looked at Laura anxiously.

“Oh, honey, I am furious. That authorities traumatized a fourteen-year-old girl in punishment for her brother’s actions. If that isn’t a patriarchal society at work, I don’t know what is.”

Yael played with the fold of the sheet. “Everyone who’s found out in the past has always believed what was written in the press.”

“I once witnessed you rescuing a skunk on the side of the road. I might not be good at picking men, but I’m fantastic at picking girlfriends.”

The knot in Yael’s throat tightened. She hadn’t anticipated such easy acceptance, not from Alex, not from Laura, especially not from Shane. She knew perhaps that was partly on her. She guarded her past so assiduously it probably made her look guilty. Now her secret was in the open again and this time it didn’t feel quite so terrible.

Unfortunately, the press was still after an inside scoop and kept attempting to sneak in to get photographs or an interview. Alex had posted bodyguards on the doors to keep them out. Didn’t stop the nursing staff asking probing questions—about her past and Ethan Grice’s death. Yael had only told them what was already in the media. The story would come out eventually but she wasn’t about to feed the frenzy. Even the thought made her nauseous.

The school had been badly damaged by the fire. She felt terrible that the community was once again suffering but she’d finally made peace with the fact that it wasn’t her fault.

She’d atoned for everything she could. More than she’d needed to in the end.

The door opened and in walked a nurse who was smiling broadly at her favorite operator.