Page 37 of Tear Me Apart

“Let me get my purse.”

Juliet walks with her to Mindy’s room. Mindy is still asleep. The CA is sitting quietly, reading Lauren’s book. She smiles and motions toward Mindy with a thumbs-up. Lauren nods, whispers, “We’re going to get some food, can you stay?”

“I’m here for the next couple of hours. You go on.”

And Lauren realizes Dr. Oliver has given her Lolly as a gift. He really is a good man. They are so lucky.

Juliet drives, her Xterra plowing through the icy streets. They don’t talk. Lauren isn’t ready. It feels so wrong to be gone but also so freeing, like she can do anything. She can bail, run to Mexico and never come back.Do it. Run, now!She tells that ridiculous voice to shut up. She dabs at her arm with a tissue. The bleeding has stopped. It’s long sleeves for her for the next week until it heals.

“We could go to the Little Diner—” Juliet starts, but Lauren knows what she wants.

“Why don’t we go to the Arapahoe Cafe.”

“In Dillon? Seriously?”

“Forty-five minutes to heaven. If you’re up for it.”

“Absolutely. Let’s do it. I haven’t eaten there in forever.”

Juliet whips the truck around and gets onto I-70 heading east toward Denver.

“Please tell me what’s going on,” she says quietly, and Lauren rests her head against the window. This isn’t going to be avoidable, she knows, and she doesn’t want to keep fighting everyone.

“Juliet—”

“Why didn’t you tell me Kyle died? I know I’m not your confidant, but he was part of the family.”

Lauren doesn’t move but cuts her eyes toward her sister. “Because he was out of our lives and I didn’t feel like dragging him back in.”

“Hard to drag him in from the grave. I just thought you would have told me. He had a diving accident?”

“Yes, somewhere off some reef. Baja, I think, something like that.”

“I didn’t know he was into scuba.”

Lauren shrugs. “He was into a lot of things you didn’t know about.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to tell me what the hell is going on. Mindy doesn’t register as a blood relation to us, the man I thought was her biological father is dead, and you’re acting like the fucking sphinx over there, all mysterious and weird. I want you to tell me what’s going on. I want you to tell me the truth. If I have the truth, I might be able to help you.”

Lauren laughs, harsh and bitter. “There’s no helping this situation. You couldn’t possibly understand.”

“Try me.”

Should she? Could she? It’s all she’s been thinking about. What difference does it make at this point what Juliet knows? Surely she can be trusted. She is Lauren’s sister, not some nurse or doctor or coach. Her flesh and blood.

“No matter what I tell you, I need your word it will not leave this car. You cannot mention this to Mindy, the doctors, or Jasper. Especially Jasper.”

Juliet drags her finger across her chest. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“This is my story. No one else’s. You have to promise you’re not going to run off to your bosses when I finish.”

“Well, it’s Mindy’s story, too, but that’s between you and her. I swear, if you’ve done nothing wrong, then tell me already, and I promise I won’t interfere.”

“I had a miscarriage.”