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Back Where I Left Her Save as PDF
Chapters (47)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  47. Booklist

I told him about the darkness that haunted me day and night. About the boy I fell in love with who bruised my skin and ripped at my heart. Who supplied me with drugs, and isolated me from my friends. I told the story so many times—to Dr. Carter, Dan, my parents—that eventually it stopped being Millie’s and became mine.

It lived inside of me, taking on a life of its own. Fusing to my bones, attaching to my heart. Becoming real. True. Something I believed.

32

SUNDAY, 6:30 A.M.
THIRTY-SEVEN AND A HALF
HOURS AFTER DROP-OFF

THE ROAD WAS winding, trees lining the sides, bending to meet in the middle, a canopy shading the street. It was beautiful over here in this part of town. Large custom homes with sweeping, wraparound porches. As a child, Whitney wished she’d lived over here.

As an adult, she’d come here many times.

Always to visit Lauren’s mom.

Whitney wasn’t surprised when she first found out Lauren’s mom was here. Whitney always thought she deserved to be somewhere pretty. Elegant. She’d always hoped for the best for her, even if it had to be this way.

From a little ways off, Whitney spotted them. Lauren and Amelia standing outside on the grass. Moisture sprung to her eyes, her lips quivering. Amelia was alive. Safe. Her entire body was flooded with relief, joints and muscles instantly relaxing. Her chest expanded, and that funny fluttering feeling finally waned.

After parking along the curb, she wanted nothing more than to tear out of the car, run to her daughter. Draw Amelia into her arms. Hold her close. Never let her go.

But that wasn’t possible.

Not anymore.

Whitney had worked so hard to find her, but now that she had, she was at a loss for what to do. The tears continued to flow. If Amelia was here of her own volition, it meant that Lauren had told her the truth.

About Whitney. About Amelia, and who she really was.

Staring through the smudged glass of her car window, she watched the girls standing over their mother’s grave. Sisters. Together at long last.

Lauren stared down at her mother’s gravestone, feeling the swell in her chest like an ocean wave cresting and then falling. It was surreal, standing here with her sister.