Page 202 of The Storm

“The summer after graduation. You were the reason.” She shakes her head, looking dazed. “He was so stupidly happy.”

My chest jolts, and I grip the edge of the windowsill.

“He was smiling like a fucking lunatic all the time, and he kept disappearing. Always offsomewheredoingsomethingwithsomeone. You’re the someone. Bridge and I kept teasing him about a secret girlfriend.” I watch her eyes harden. “And then… he just wasn’t himself anymore. I figured it was the mess with the family. Because you two never liked each other that much, right?” She juts her chin out. “But it was you.”

She looks away, staring at nothing for a long moment.

“Why did you leave?” she asks quietly.

My jaw tightens. “None of your?—”

“Don’t,” she snaps, shaking her head. “Don’t even. Why did you leave?”

It’s my turn to look away. My nails dig into the wood.

“Because he lied,” I say.

She slumps into the couch and nods slowly. “You know, some things make a lot more sense now. Mind you, I kind of thought you were just an asshole who took off without a second glance when you found out the truth, but that didn’t explain Go.”

I snap my eyes to her.

She lifts her chin with a grim look on her face. “Do you know he got into Stanford last year?”

I shake my head.

She nods. “Yeah. Didn’t go, though. He’s been doing all sorts of odd jobs. Hates most of them, but curiously, the more he despises his job, the harder he tries to stick to it.”

I grip the windowsill even harder.

“He barely comes back home,” she continues. “Hasn’t been back to Annapolis in… five years, at least.”

I will pry that windowsill off if I keep going.

“Not to mention rowing.” She sounds almost conversational now.

I breathe in deeply. Calm. Calm. I’m calm.

“What about rowing?” I ask tightly.

Dia tilts her head to the side. “He doesn’t do it anymore.”

I snap my eyes to her. “What?”

She huffs and shakes her head. “You’re an asshole. But it does all make sense now.”

“What makes sense?” I grit out.

She eyes me calmly. “He’s been punishing himself. All these years. You ran away, you left him, and he punishes himself by taking away everything else he loves too.”

My legs suddenly feel like they’re too weak to hold my full weight. I grip the sill like my life depends on it. My heart beats so fast I feel sick.

We stay like that, opposite each other.

With nothing left to say.

SIXTY

INDY