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I’D DRIVEN FOR OVER AN hour with nowhere to go Tears were blurring my vision, my chest ached, and I wanted to curl up in a ball and sob freely But there was no time for that I had Heidi to think of My sister She was my first concern Always my first concern She could never knohat had happened

I no longer had a ho I had my sister That was it Heidi’s care had been taken care of—or I thought it had been Jasper had said he was going to pay ten years in advance but I wasn’t sure he’d had a chance to do that yet Even if he had how could I let him after e’d learned? She was my sister Mine I should take care of her Not him

Just three hours ago my life had seemed perfect I’d been happy and I was almost at the point where I could accept the security that came with Jasper Van Allan’s love I didn’t blame him because he was an innocent bystander of the dark past too Our circumstances weren’t his fault or mine, but I should have known better than to trust love It was a dangerous path that eventually uncovered lies that always led to ruin

The ho-term care loo inside to face Heidi She wouldn’t understand why I was upset I didn’t want Heidi to know the ugliness of the world Her heart was too big and her sht to ruin the her birth were secrets I’d keep Heidi wouldn’t understand them anyway She loved our mother as I did Our mother was a saint and I knee’d never be the same without her

The fact Heidi had been born to Portia Van Allan was a secret I would keep fro who her birth mother ith Heidi was pointless, even if she could understand—I wasn’t sure that was possible

Heidi had been theas I could remember Even as a kid I knew Heidi’s difference made her special Precious Easier to love

AsHeidi away because she’d been born with Down syndrome and that hadn’t fit into her life, I was equally thankful she left her to iven Heidi to us and she’d completed my family It had always been the three of us A perfect three that I would always cherish Our ht us that fa

I pulled off the road and shifted the car into park Crossingwheel, I continued to cry At this point, crying was all I could do It’s what I needed to do I would cry and let it all out—my fear, my pain, my disbelief Then I would dry my face, walk inside, and see htly and I would not fall apart in front of her I was strong My ht now, I needed Heidi I missed her more than ever

Beyond visiting Heidi, I had no idea what to do next I had no idea where to turn

Just as a loud sob escaped er door of my car opened My head jerked in the direction of the intruder and I was ready to screa the seat beside me His face was hard and cold like always

Jasper’s best friend hated me I wasn’t sure I liked him that much either Stone was closed off and unfriendly He didn’t approve of Jasper and h for Jasper

“Crying won’t ,” he said looking straight ahead out theHis jaw clenched and his chiseled face appeared determined

“I’m out of his life What do you want?” I said astaunted or corrected by Stone wasn’t what I needed or wanted Now or ever

He turned his head to look atthis,” he said

How could he have expected this? He didn’t even know the details of what had transpired I wanted to slap him and scream at him to release some of my pain But I had never been violent

“You want her to stay here, don’t you? She likes it here,” he nodded his head at the home Heidi lived in