  &quot;What the fuck?&quot; I spin, yelling at her. &quot;Is that how you justify it to yourself? That I just imagined it?&quot; My pain can't conceal itself. &quot;Or was it that I asked for it, Mother? Like I seduced Ray?&quot; I swipe the counter in my rage, sending crockery flying and smashing to the floor. Jake's on his feet instantly and comes to me in two strides, pulling me to him as tears fill my eyes and he tries to reign me in a little. I push him away and turn on her again. Putting myself in front of him so I can face her.
      &quot;Why do you always do this?&quot; I yell but she continues to sit with her eyes faced forward on the wall across from her, her expression blank as though her child is just having a tantrum. &quot;You always make me feel this way! You always act this way whenever I try to broach this subject.&quot; It's all ripping loose from inside of me, teen E

  He helps me pack my things back into my bag silently. We had lain in silence, just entwined, until the pilot called to inform us the jet would be ready for take-off by the time we got to the airfield. He watches me steadily but leaves me alone with my thoughts, he knows I won't talk about this anymore. The wall is up on the matter and I'm already filing it into the back of my head with all the other crap I never want to face. I won't bring it up again, much like I never bring Marissa up. He knows me well enough to leave it alone, now that he seems to finally understand how I tick inside.
      I feel like a complete failure. I'm numb from over thinking, pushing it all back into the recess of my mind, back into that little black box with the rest of my heartache and terrors.
      Back with the child who used to cry herself to sleep in fear of her bedroom door creaking open in the darkn

  Strange.
      &quot;I'm really glad you're here … Both of you.&quot; She smiles without looking up. I hand Jake the bowl of salad after dishing my own and watch her, I feel like there is so much to say yet I don't have the words at all.
      Where would I start? Twenty-six years of pent-up emotions and accusations, yet here we are, acting like me coming home for a weekend with my boyfriend is normal. Not that she's even asked if that is what he is now. Maybe that's what that look was all about, maybe it's obvious.
      Jake digs into his food, his normally chatty self, quiet, he's leaving me to take the next step and for once I would rather ultra-sociable Carrero would just step in. He's a master at idle chit-chat and dominating a conversation, normally.
      &quot;I'm not sure how long we'll be staying,&quot; I mutter indirectly to break the silence.
      Maybe it's best to say i

&quot;What the fuck?&quot; I spin, yelling at her. &quot;Is that how you justify it to yourself? That I just imagined it?&quot; My pain can't conceal itself. &quot;Or was it that I asked for it, Mother? Like I seduced Ray?&quot; I swipe the counter in my rage, sending crockery flying and smashing to the floor. Jake's on his feet instantly and comes to me in two strides, pulling me to him as tears fill my eyes and he tries to reign me in a little. I push him away and turn on her again. Putting myself in front of him so I can face her.
      &quot;Why do you always do this?&quot; I yell but she continues to sit with her eyes faced forward on the wall across from her, her expression blank as though her child is just having a tantrum. &quot;You always make me feel this way! You always act this way whenever I try to broach this subject.&quot; It's all ripping loose from inside of me, teen Emma not caring if Jake sees her in all her ugly fury. Jake tries to haul me to him, to embrace me but

Chapter 72