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“I want to beat her ass,” I said. “I should’ve done so when I had the chance.”

“Yep.”

“Thissucks!”

Cassidy sighed and put the TV on. She stared at the screen, but didn’t seem to be watching at all. “This is all fucked up. I can’t believe how determined that psycho bitch is.”

“I hope she finally leaves town after all of this. She should’ve run off with Forrest.”

Cassidy scoffed. “She was just using him. She’s still obsessed with Steph.”

“Don’t remind me.”

We flipped through the channels idly for a few minutes. My phone started to ring in my pocket. I fished it out, assuming it was Steph calling to give me an update on whatever was happening, but that wasn’t the name I saw on the screen.

“Mom? Is everything okay?” I stood up and started to pace. I hadn’t spoken to her since our last big fight. If she was calling me, something was seriously wrong.

“Harley?” Her voice was shaky on the other end of the line. “I didn’t think you’d answer…”

“What’s going on?” I asked. Maybe this was why I’d felt off all day, not the Blakely thing.

“I… I need your help,” she said.

“What? Why? What happened?”

Mom coughed a few times. “Can you come over?”

“What? Now?”

“I just… I think it’s time,” Mom said. “I need… I need help, Harley. I think I need to go somewhere. To rehab.”

My heart leaped into my throat. She was actually ready? She wanted to go to rehab?

“Can you come help me?” Mom asked. “Just you? I need to pack… I don’t know where I’m going. The hospital?”

“Yes, I can come,” I said instantly.

Cassidy stared at me, her brows raised in confusion. “Who is it?”she mouthed.

“Thank you,” Mom said. “I know this is inconvenient…”

“It’s the right choice, Mom,” I said. “I’ll be right there.”

I hung up the phone and immediately ran upstairs to change. Cassidy was hot on my heels. “That was your mom?” she asked. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” I said as I peeled off my sweatpants and jumped into a pair of jeans. “She’s ready to go to rehab, Cass. And it sounds like it’s real this time.”

Cassidy crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorframe. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” I was torn between being overjoyed and being terrified. If she was really ready to get real help, this could be a major turning point. Not just for her, but for me, too. Maybe we could be a family again. She could be the grandmother Dylan always wanted.

“You don’t think it’s weird that she’s calling right now?” Cassidy asked. “Of all times?”

“What do you mean?”

“Seems like a weird coincidence that she would call right when Steph is supposed to be in a meeting.”

“Steph’s always in meetings,” I said. “I feel like I’ve barely seen him since this whole thing started.” I pulled on a hoodie and tied my hair up. “I need to go to her place. If she’s serious about this, I don’t want to give her any time to change her mind.”