She hits me again, right where I’m most tender. “You didn’t hear half of the ugly things he’s said about you. He couldn’t stand you, Dee. You think that just goes away? Hell, you wouldn’t even watch Dark Castle because the memory of him was so repugnant to you, and that was only a few months ago.”

Her words fall over me like hot tar, sticking and burning. She has to know she’s hurting me. That she’s willing to do it to get her point across hurts too. “That’s really unfair, Sam. People grow up. I grew up. Macon did too.”

“This is what I’m talking about! You’re letting your guard down. Macon will use it to his advantage.”

“Why? To what purpose?” I shake my head and huff out my exasperation.

“To use you as bait and lure me back home.”

“Then take the bait,” I snap. “Come back, and end this.”

And then we’ll know. A trickle of fear goes down my spine. What will happen if she returns?

“I will. Soon.”

“That isn’t good enough. I have to tell him you called.”

“No! Don’t you dare!”

“Why not? He should know.”

I can practically hear her thoughts racing.

“He’ll get in an uproar again, and it’ll be relentless. You tell him, and I’m not going to come back.”

“Oh, that is low.” I can’t punch Sam, so I punch the padded arm of the chair. “Really low.”

“Am I wrong? He’ll be back in a black mood, gunning for me.”

She’s not wrong.

“If you’re unwilling to leave that house . . . ,” Sam begins, making it sound like a question.

“I’m not leaving. I made a promise.” I don’t tell her the other truth: I don’t want to leave. Not yet. I’ve grown attached to this place, to Macon. Is that a weakness? Stupid of me? I don’t know. Sam’s muddying the waters even more.

“That’s what I thought,” she says. “So don’t rock the boat. I’ll come back as soon as I can. And I’ll bring Macon his damn watch. But don’t you dare fall for his act, whatever it might be.”

Sorry, sis. I’m already falling.

“You’re being melodramatic.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. And I’ll give you a month. After that, I’m telling him.”

A month is more than generous. Even though I feel like a traitor to Macon by keeping this secret.

“Fine,” she says. “But I’ll know if you tell him.”

That’s why I’m agreeing to this. Because he’ll absolutely start up texting her again. He’ll want her to return immediately. And like before, his threats and texts won’t bring Sam back. She has to do that for herself.