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“Maybe some of them wanna help?”
I scrolled to the pictures of the comments where people didnotwant anything to do with me.
“Cain, I’m sorry.”
“Of all the people,” I said. “You had to tellher?”
“She’s only been nice to me!”
“Yeah, that’s how she is. Nice to your face and then doesthiswhen your back is turned.”
“Has she done this before?”
“Yes. She has. When I sold Donny’s house, I caught her telling the cashier that he would be rolling over in his grave if he knew I even had it, and recently she and Nicole had a lovely time in the Facebook group talking about how you were too good for me.”
Her jaw dropped. “Oh. She was who you were gonna warn me about, wasn’t she?”
“She was.” I crossed my arms. “I wasn’t making it up when I said people in this town don’t like me.”
“What about Tammy and Henry?”
“They’re exceptions. Everyone has always seen me as the punk kid who came in and beat up his foster dad.”
“But he was a terrible person! Didn’t they have any idea?—”
“No, and they never will. Jackie asked me to keep secrets, and Ido.Unlike some people.”
There it was. Her eyes fell to her feet. I almost wanted to take it back, but I still couldn’t get over the fact that she’d done this.
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I was drunk, and she was asking questions. I thought it might help you be a part of everything. Now I see that I was wrong.”
Being drunk wasn’t an adequate excuse.
“You were.”
“How do I fix it?”
“Right now? I have no idea. I’m just surprised that everyone isn’t here with pitchforks and after my head.” I ran a hand over my face. “I’ll have to tell my lawyer that I have all I can get. And if I lose this case ... then I lose the case.”
“You can’t?—”
“It’s always been a possibility,” I said. “Now it’s just more of one.”
“Cain—”
“Give me some space. I’m way too angry to talk to you right now, and I don’t wanna say something I’ll regret.”
Her eyes were wide, but she nodded. “Yeah, okay. I’m ... really sorry.”
She went into the house, grabbed her purse, and hastily left. Normally, I would tell her not to leave, but I didn’t know if I could say a damn word to her.
I didn’t let the weight of losing Eric hit me until she was gone.
31
MOLLIE
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch