“You’re sure? I’m not about to find myself in some padded cell, with a therapist asking all sorts of questions about whether I’ve considered harming myself?”

Nina sighed. “No, that’s what why we’re here. We’re here because we care about you and we’re concerned.”

“Fantastic. Your concerns have been heard. Now that you’ve done your civic duty, Officers, you’re both free to go,” Becca said.

Becca’s harsh tone didn’t faze Nina. She turned to Christian, their alliance in full effect.

“This is what I was talking about, Christian. She’s nearly gotten herself killed twice. She needs to see someone.”

Becca wanted to shout at Nina, “My daughter was nearly murdered. How would you handle it? How?” But losing her temper would only prove Nina’s point, make her seem unstable. “Tell me, Chris, do you think I’m losing it? That I need help?”

Christian didn’t answer, as he shifted from one foot to the other. Nina threw her hands in the air. “Why am I not surprised? Like Christian would ever make the hard choice. It’s easier to just walk away.”

Christian flinched, but that was Nina. She always went for the jugular. “If something goes wrong, if she gets hurt, it’s on you,” she said to him.

She snatched her purse off the chair. “You know that I love you, Becca. You’re like family, which is why I won’t sit around and watch you self-destruct,” Nina said. She hurried back down the hall, leaving Becca and Christian alone.

“You can go too,” Becca said, shooing him away. After tiptoeing around everyone, saying to hell with everyone felt good.

Christian reached for her again. Becca tried to pull away. He held on tight. She hated how familiar and comforting his embrace was. “I hate that I hurt you. I thought you were fine after I left. You moved on so quickly, focusing all your energy on Ash. The idea you’d do something to hurt yourself… That I didn’t even know…” He trailed off.

“That was the past,” she whispered. She wanted to push him away, but she stayed there, letting him hold her.

“Is it? I want to believe you. I want you to be okay, Becs. I don’t think you are,” he said softly.

“I’m not crazy,” Becca whispered.

“I know you’re not. You are hurting, and you should be. What happened to Ash is tragic and unfair. But you know as well as I do what happens when you don’t talk about what’s going on. You can’t run from it.” She heard his voice catch, thought about what he’d said in her room that night, all the pain he’d been through, that she’d put him through.