"I loved you girls; I still do," he argued. "I've been around your whole lives. I'm sorry I said what I said. I never wanted you to find out, especially not like this."

"Does Vicky know?"

He gave a guilty nod. "Yes. I told her after your mom died."

"Probably why she found it easier to suggest boarding school."

"I thought the school was good for you. You both seemed happy there, not as sad as when you were at home. And you had each other. You always had each other. Sometimes, I envied the connection you had. I felt like the outsider."

"You just told yourself that so you could be the outsider," I said harshly. "I—I can't do this anymore." I felt overwhelmed with emotion. "I need to be alone." I ran down the hall and up the stairs, locking myself in my mother's bedroom. But as I looked around her room, I found little peace. Instead, I was reminded of all the lies she'd told. Everyone in my life had lied to me. Except Dani. Even that wasn't true. Dani had lied about seeing Mom at our high school graduation.

That was a small lie, I told myself. And she'd done it to protect me.

But hadn't all the lies been excused by the idea that someone was trying to protect me?

It was wrong—all of it.

And I couldn't do it alone anymore. I took out my phone and called Dani. As soon as she answered, I started to cry.

"What's wrong, Brynn? Talk to me," she said with concern.

"Everything is wrong, Dani. Every damn thing."

"Start with one."

I decided not to start with me almost being kidnapped. That would scare her too much. "Dad showed up last night. He was very, very drunk. He looked awful, like he'd been sleeping on the street in his clothes."

"What did he say? Where has he been?"

"He's been here in San Francisco since last Tuesday. He had a brief conversation with Mom on Wednesday. She attempted to apologize, but Dad got so angry he slapped her, and some other people tried to intervene—"

"What the hell?" Dani interrupted. "He slapped her?"

"He was blinded by rage. Anyway, she left. He was going to go see her the next day but then she was shot, and he fell apart. He started drinking and he couldn't stop. He said he was so heartbroken and angry that he couldn't talk to any of us. He couldn't believe the woman he'd loved so much had lied to him and deserted him, leaving him with her children."

"We were his children, too."

I drew in a breath. "That was a lie, too, Dani. We aren't his kids."

"What are you talking about, Brynn? We are his kids. I know you didn't always feel close to him, but I did."