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“I suppose you could say that,” he sighed

I walked to the room that Stephen and I shared When I opened the door, everything was still exactly the way I left it Ian walked in behind ht hireed to it

“Is this where you slept?” he asked as he pointed to the mattress on the floor

“Yeah,” I said as I turned around and walked out

I looked out the kitchenat the barn that sat in the back The place I would go to and escape

“You were always a good kid, Rory,” Shane said as he walked up behind me “Is that your boyfriend?” he asked

“No, he’s just a friend He saved ht you?”

“She sure has,” Ian spoke

The door opened and Nancy stopped when she sawhere?” she asked nervously

For the first time in my life, I wasn’t afraid of her anymore “I’m here to put closure on my past You know; the one you fked up,” I spat

“Stephen’s not here, is he?”

Shane walked over, took the bags from her hands, and set them on the table as she walked inside

“No, Stephen’s not here He’s locked away in a psychiatric hospital in California”

“Good, that’s where he should be,” she said

My eht I had buried ca back to me as I looked at her

“Who’s this?” she asked as she pointed to Ian

“This is Ian Ian, this is my Aunt Nancy”

The two of therabbed a beer That was all the house reeked of: stale beer and cigarettes It was a set

“I know damn well you didn’t come here to say hi So, say what’s on yourto her I just stood there and stared at her, shaking o,” I said as I walked to the door

“I’m sorry,” she said

I stopped as soon as she said that Nancy had never been sorry about anything in her life I turned around and glared at her “You’re sorry? Sorry for what?” I asked as I slowly approached her “Sorry for ruiningthere for us and letting us raise ourselves? Sorry for never celebrating our birthdays, Christmas, or any other holiday that all the other families celebrated? Sorry for what!” I screa and Ian walked over and clasped my shoulders She looked at me with those stone cold eyes The eyes that had the sale day She wouldn’t say a word I shook my head and turned away

“Your daddy He was ht and slept with him”

Instantly, I felt sick to my stomach “Rory?” Ian said

I wouldn’t turn around and look at her when I spoke “You knohovoice

“Why do you think you didn’t meet me until you were seven years old? When your nant, we didn’t speak for seven years You and Stephen are the spitting ie of him That’s why I didn’t want you because every time I looked at the two of you, it was a reminder of how you ruined my life What did I ever do that was so bad to deserve that?”