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He laughs "Surprised?"

I don’t knohat to say I assu, for Christ’s sake "A little," I squeak

"I didn’t go to jail for the accident Technically, I killed someone when I drove drunk I should have been locked up, but ht they could buy ht your way out of it, why did they send you to live with your grandmother?"

"Lilly woke up" He takes a deep breath and his chest belloith air "She was in a coal issues while she was asleep Then she woke up and it was obvious she was never going to be the same, and they couldn’t live with the shairlfriend, they were from poor families, so they were of no consequence to them But Lilly…they had to face her parents every day Whenthe perky cheerleader they once had hopes of getting as a daughter-in-law, they sent rand with them"

He holds up his hand when I open my mouth to protest

"It’s okay It was for the best I couldn’t look at Lilly every day knohat I did to her"

"So that…that was her mother who called you?"

He nods "She says Lilly wants to seewheel "And that’s e’re here"

"Do you want to see your parents while you’re here?" I ask

He shakes his head "No I’ else I don’t wantI just need to see if she’s truly all right"

"Okay," I say slowly, dragging the word out I don’t knohat to say

"I don’t knohat Lilly re Or sheI need to find out I need to find out if there’s anything I can do to make her life better" He looks into my eyes "I owe her that"

"Do you love her?" I don’t knohy that makes my heart ache, but it does It shouldn’t

"I love her the way my sixteen-year-old self can love her" He shakes his head "But I’m not in love with her It was just assuether from the time ere in diapers I didn’t have a choice" His eyes meet mine "But she wasis the only thing that disturbs the heavy silence that cloaks the car like a water-logged blanket