Page 33 of Old Habits

“Then, why did you come back?”

“Okay, now we’re just going in circles.”

“I’m not going to play games with you, Jovie. Either you leave town or I’ll tell him everything that happened.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I mutter.

“It’ll be your word against mine,” she says. “Who exactly do you think he’s going to believe? His sister, who stuck by him when he needed it the most, or the girl who felt like this place was so far beneath her that she abandoned him?”

“I did not abandon him.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“The truth doesn’t matter?” I fire back.

“You can cast me the villain all you want but, in the end, he will never forgive you for what you took from him and we both know it.”

Nausea wrecks my gut. “You can go now.”

“And so can you. How much?” she continues. “How much is not breaking Will’s heart all over again worth to you?”

“I don’t want your money,” I say.

“Still took it before, didn’t you?”

I go silent, clenching my teeth together and digging my nails into the counter top to cling to it.

Sara leans forward. “Just out of curiosity, what did you do with it?”

“I donated it to charity,” I spit.

“I don’t mean the money, Jovie.”

I inhale slowly. “That’s really none of your business. Now, if you have any questions about the latest line of collector ornaments, I’m happy to assist you. Otherwise, I’ll kindly ask you to fuck off.”

She smiles and takes a step back. “Good talk. Stay away from my brother.”

I close my eyes and listen until her heels clack off and the entry bell chimes again. I wait until I can’t hear anything else before letting my knees give out and collapsing to the floor beneath the counter with tears burning my eyelids.

I didn’t do anything.