Page 65 of Reclaimed Roots

Chase's face went pale. "Wait, what? Bankrupt? What are you talking about?"

I ran my uninjured hand through my hair, pacing like a caged animal. "Natalie kept it from us. She claimed she'd been trying to fix it, but now... now she's gone, and we're drowning. She knew and didn't tell me, and now she's run off to the city again."

Elliot's jaw tightened, his eyes hardening. "Okay, let's take this one thing at a time. First, we need to look at the books, see how bad it really is."

"It's bad, El. Trust me."

Chase shook his head, muttering under his breath. "This can't be happening. We can't lose the orchard. It's... it's everything."

"You think I don't know that? This is our home, and it's slipping through our fingers!"

Elliot stepped between us with his hands raised. "Hey, hey! Calm down, both of you. This isn't helping."

But now the floodgates were open, I couldn't stop. "And Natalie... God, I thought—" I swallowed convulsively, a sharp ache rising up to constrict my throat. "I really thought she was staying this time."

"Jas," Elliot's voice was low and soothing, "I'm sure there's an explanation. Natalie wouldn't just?—"

"Wouldn't she? Apparently, it's what she does. When things get tough, she runs. Every. Damn. Time."

Chase ran a hand over his face. His usual bravado was nowhere to be seen. "Fuck. Fuck! What are we gonna do about the orchard? We can't lose it."

I leaned against the barn wall, feeling utterly drained. "I don't know."

Elliot inhaled steadily. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. First, we're going to clean up your hand before it gets infected. Then, we're going to sit down and talk to Mom and Dad. They need to know what's going on."

I nodded, numbly. "Yeah, okay."

As Elliot led me towards the house, Chase trailing behind us like a lost puppy, I thought of Edward's letter, tucked away in my jacket pocket.Get her back.

But how could I fight for us when she wouldn't even pick up the damn phone?

The porch steps creaked under our feet. The sound reinforced this newfound sense of fragility. Like the foundations of my world were buckling beneath me. The orchard had always felt so solid and permanent. It was hard to process that we might lose it all. But if Natalie could blow back into my life one day and be gone again the next, why not the orchard too? And the fact that she kept this from me...

The thought of Natalie gnawed at me like a persistent ache that wouldn't let go. My mind kept tormenting me with the same unanswerable questions.What if it's too late?What if I've lost her for good this time? And how can I ever trust her again if she does come back?

"What the hell happened to your hand?!" Mom grabbed my wrist, inspecting my knuckles.

"Genius here punched a wall," Chase offered. Elliot shot him a warning look.

"That was dumb." Dad rounded the corner from the hallway and pushed his reading glasses up onto his head. "Did the wall deserve it, at least?"

"Oh, shut up, Jay, and go get the first-aid kit," Mom said.

"Yes, ma'am."

While Mom ushered me toward the kitchen island, Elliot grabbed a plastic sandwich bag and filled it with ice. "Here, put this on it. It'll help with the swelling."

Chase leaned against the counter, chewing on histhumbnail. "You know, Jas, there are better ways to deal with anger. Like, I don't know, talking about it?"

"Rich coming from you," Elliot muttered.

"Hey, I'm trying here."

When Dad returned to the kitchen with the first-aid kit, Elliot took a deep breath. "Mom, Dad, there's something you need to know. Jasper found something today."

"Oh? What's that?" Dad asked.

"There's something wrong with the books," Elliot said.

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