“And what would you have done? How would you have reacted? Like this? I hate to be the one to state the obvious, but your dad died, and that’s terrible. Your mom went to prison … also terrible. But that’s in the past. If you want to be a grown ass adult, then start acting like one.”

“I’m so tired of the age card.” I shoved his chest. “Just because you don’t understand my feelings doesn’t make it my fault—a product of my age. Nobody likes being lied to.”

“Nobody lied.”

“Omission of the truth is deceptive … a lie.”

“So have we been lying to Rory about us?”

“There is no us.”

Fisher nodded slowly. His control angered me even more. I needed to be angry. I needed to yell at someone.

“We might choose who we’re with, but we don’t choose who we love.”

“Are you making excuses for her?”

He shook his head, scratching the nape of his neck. “What if I’m making excuses for us? Would that be okay with you? Would it be okay because we’re not gay?”

My jaw clenched as I swallowed hard. “That’s not it.”

“You continue to tell yourself that.”

I kept shaking my head. It wasn’t about Rory’s sexuality. It wasn’t. Was it?

“Then why are you one blink away from falling apart? Because you’re ashamed of her sins?” He held up air quotes. “Or because you need it to be wrong? If you let it be okay, you’ll have to question everything that those people put into your head. You’ll have to look within to find your truth. And then what will you be? Lost? Isn’t that the point? Bring the lost to God and they will be found?”

“She cheated on my dad.” I blinked, falling apart like he knew I would do.

“She fell in love.”

I shook my head. “She was supposed to love him.”

“Well, life never goes like it’s supposed to. So what are you going to do about it?”

“Reese,” Rory said my name.

I kept my back to her, my head bowed so I didn’t have to look at her or Fisher. “I’m moving back to Texas. There is nothing for me here.”

“Reese, let me explain.”

“Explain?” I scoffed, walking toward the corner of the garage where I didn’t have to face anyone. I wasn’t sure I could ever look at her again. “No explanation needed. Everything I just saw, and will never be able to erase from my mind, was self-explanatory. The reason Dad divorced you. The reason he didn’t want me to see you. It’s so very clear now.”

“You only know half of it. His half, not mine.”