BooksBarbecue
Back When She Returned Save as PDF
Chapters (48)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT
  3. CONTENTS
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. ONE
  6. TWO
  7. THREE
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

He was avoiding it like it wasn’t going to be real until he told Abbi, so he was putting it off for as long as possible. But even that didn’t explain his behavior. Worry seeped into my thoughts. He’d made that strange comment last night about me not knowing the full story—even if he’d laughed it off like it was because he was tired, he’d still said it—and now this.

“I love you, Scott, and I know how unbelievably difficult this must be for you.” I was beat from the stress, and mine paled in comparison to his. “All I’m saying is that I think you shouldn’t waste any more time before bringing Abbi up to speed.”

He pulled his hand away from mine and shoved the keyboard aside. “I don’t want to argue about this anymore. It’s not your call to make.” His words stung. I raised my hand to my cheek, like they’d left a physical mark. We were supposed to be on the same team. “I’m going downstairs to get myself something to eat.” He didn’t wait for me to respond before leaving the bedroom and heading to the kitchen.

I wasn’t going to let him avoid the conversation. Someone had to think rationally about our situation, and I had to be the one to do it, since he was too emotional. I quickly followed him downstairs.

EIGHTEEN

EIGHTEEN

ABBI

NOW

I rushed around the corner and into the kitchen just as Meredith said to Dad, “I think you should tell her right now. She—” She stopped as soon as she saw me.

“Tell me what?” I asked, since they were obviously talking about me.

They both froze. I was supposed to be upstairs doing my homework, but I’d forgotten my math book on the table and couldn’t finish without it. They turned to each other, trying to communicate with their eyes, like married couples do, but I wasn’t going to give them a chance to get their story straight. “Tell me what?” I asked again, more direct and forceful this time. I’d walked in on something, and I wasn’t leaving until they told me.

“Is your mom still resting?” Dad asked.

I nodded. She’d been lying down since after dinner. She’d gotten one of her horrible headaches after her session with Camille this afternoon. Those sessions wiped her out more than the others. I wouldn’t want to be interviewed by Camille either. Everything she said came out sounding like she was mad at you.

“This is probably a great time to have that conversation we’ve been talking about.” Meredith eyed Dad, their exchange barbed with hidden meaning. He glared at her.

“Do you want to sit?” Dad asked me. He pointed to the table, where my math book lay splayed open, just like I’d left it.