Her expression was distant. Even seeing her pain had been better than the mask she was pulling on now. I could sense her slipping away emotionally, and somehow, I knew that if I didn’t stop it, it really would be too late.

“Please.” I lurched out of the chair and across the room, dropping onto the sofa beside her and taking her hand. “Please tell me what he meant. I need to know.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

KENNEDY

Hi Liam,

I’ve written a hundred different emails explaining what happened, and I deleted every one of them. I can tell you the facts, but there’s nothing I can do to make you understand how scared and alone I felt when I found out my parents had died and I was suddenly guardian to four children. It was as if I’d been treading water for days, and at any moment I might sink beneath the surface. I didn’t want to drag you into the deep end with me.

Love,

K xx

I felt as though every one of my nerves had been rubbed raw, and now Liam wanted to smother them with salt.

I didn’t need him to hammer the point home. I already got it. All of my dreams of a big reconciliation had been just that: dreams.

But then, I owed him the truth, didn’t I? Even if it didn’t change things, he deserved to know why I’d done what I had so he could finally see that it had nothing to do with him.

“You really want to know?” I asked. “If I start talking, you’re not going to leave halfway through?” Because I wasn’t sure I could handle that.

“I’ll stay until you’re finished,” he confirmed.

“Okay.” I stood and went to the kitchen where I filled a glass with water, then another. One for myself and one for him. I passed him the extra and sat down, cradling my glass between my palms. My mouth was dry, so I took a sip. “When I returned to Los Angeles, I had every intention of coming back here as planned. I’d almost finished organizing everything.” His eyebrows drew together, and I could see he wanted to say something, but I held up a hand, hoping he’d give me time to get through the full story. “But then Mom and Malcolm were in a car accident. They died.”

“What?” His face twisted in a combination of shock and disbelief. “You mean, while you were getting ready to come back?”

“Yeah.”

“You never mentioned it.” He looked like I’d slapped him. “I’d have remembered that.”

“It happened while I was sorting out the last few things.” I sipped the water again, more for something to do than because I was thirsty.

“Is that why you fell off the radar for so long before you ended our relationship?”