“He doesn’t want to see you.”

Caiden’s mother stands at the door, staring at me, eyes icy. I usually shrink away from their scalding stare but decide that for right now, I’m going to hold my ground. For once. I’m tired of being pushed around by this family. Accident or not, that article was a blatant lie and should have never happened. I may have deserved a lot, but I did not deserve that.

And it’s time they stopped.

For good.

“I don’t care if he wants to see me or not,” I tell her, my voice harder than it’s ever been in her presence. “If he doesn’t want me to seek legal advice for the lies he told, then he’ll see me and he will speak to me.”

Her face flashes with a moment of surprise before she says, “There is nothing you can do legally when he simply told the truth.”

“You and I both know that wasn’t the truth. I can take my part in the accident, but I will not be made out to be a cheating, selfish woman. We aren’t together. We haven’t been since the accident. You and I both know this. So does he. I’m doing nothing wrong. He’s the one who wants me out of his life, and yet I’m still here, every damned day, copping his abuse. And yours.”

“Be very careful, Amalie.”

“Let me in, or I’ll contact a lawyer and take matters further. What he published was slander.”

She shakes her head. “Go right ahead, there is no proof that you weren’t together, none whatsoever. He had every right to express his anger, and you owe it to him to take it.”

I’m done.

So done.

I’m tired of being pushed around by these people. For being made to live with guilt every single day of my life. I may never forgive myself for the accident, but that’s my choice to make, and my burden to live with. As for the rest, I do not deserve it. Scarlett was right, Caiden had his part in that accident, too. And deep down, he knows it.

I’m tired of being bullied.

By this family.

By Caiden.

By Treyton.

By my own mother.

No more.

“I owe him nothing,” I snap, raising my voice for the first time. It’s been so long since I’ve done it, it feels foreign to me, but it also feels incredibly good. Freeing even. “He took the wheel that day in the car, he jerked it causing us to go off the road. He knows it. You just don’t because you were happy to let me take all of the blame. I’ve been by his side since, even when he has done nothing but abuse me and treat me unfairly. I’m done with it. I will not live with his lies being slung all over town. I’m a human being, and I too deserve some damned respect!”

I shout the last words, and her face drops, shock registering.

“Now let me in or so help me god I will make sure I release a story about him. I have the means. If he wishes to tell lies, I might as well add my part in. If you do not want that to happen, if you do not want your family’s name ruined, then I suggest you let me the hell in!”

She steps aside.

For a moment, I’m shocked.

So shocked I just stare at her.

But she stays stepped to the side, her eyes are icy, but she knows I’m right. If I wanted to, I could make this blow way out of proportion and I could drag Caiden and his family’s name through the mud. I wouldn’t do that, of course, because I’m not a heartless human being, but she knows I could.

And that’s all she needs.

“You have five minutes. Then I never want to see you around here again.”

I nod sharply. “Believe me, you won’t see me again once I’m done here.”

I step inside the house and walk to Caiden’s quarters, opening the door without knocking. He’s doing some exercise with Penelope. He’s standing, both arms holding a long silver railing, and they’re doing something with his feet and legs. When they hear me come in, both of them stop and look at me. My eyes go straight on his.

He isn’t getting the chance to talk.

Not this time.

“I’ll say this once, and once only. Then you’ll never see me again. I’m giving you a week to retract your story and tell the truth. If you do not, I will release my own version. I assure you, I can fight just as hard and just as strong as you can, Caiden. I’m tired of being pushed around. You can say what you want to the media, to your friends, and to your family, but you and I both know that you know the truth. You know what really happened that day in the car.”

Penelope’s eyes swing back to Caiden, and then back to me.

I continue.

“You know that I didn’t cause that accident. You know you caused that accident by getting angry and grabbing the wheel. I can take my blame, I can take my part, I know I shouldn’t have tried to break up with you in a car, I know I’m half responsible for what happened, but dammit, Caiden, so are you. And you know it. So spin whatever lies make you sleep better at night, I’m done with this entire situation. I’ve spent over a year now coming here every day and being tossed your abuse. I’ve lived with the guilt. And the shame. And my own damned injuries and demons. Nobody has had my back, do you hear me?”

He’s staring at me, eyes wide.

“Nobody has looked out for me, nobody has protected me. I had no one to care for me, or help me back onto my feet. I’m sorry, I say it and I mean it. I will be forever sorry, for the rest of my life, for what happened that night in the car. But I won’t spend the rest of my life drowning in it. We weren’t together after the accident, you know it, I know it, so there was never a need for you to spread such ugly lies about me.”

I take one more deep breath and finish.

“You wanted me out of your life, I can assure you that this is the last time you’ll ever see me. I wish you well, Caiden. I truly do. And as I said, I’ll be forever sorry. I have been waiting for you to forgive me, but you never will, so I’m going to go ahead and forgive myself. Change the story, I beg of you, because I do not deserve it and you know that.”

I look to Penny, and I smile at her. “Take good care of him, Penny. But don’t you ever let him walk all over you.”

Her eyes flash to Caiden, and then back to me.

He’s already walking all over her. I can see it in her face.

“Goodbye, Caiden.”

With that, I turn and walk out.

And I feel like the whole weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders.

It’s like suddenly, I can breathe again.

~*~*~*~