Page 32 of Always Mine

“Word was Diego’s group decimated the gang.”

“Hi.”

They both looked up. Seth stood before them, wearing khaki pants and a sage green shirt she’d bought him. “How are you, Annie?”

“All right. I, um I’d like to talk after school if you’re available?”

His face lit up. “Sure. I’ll come to your room. See you then.”

When he left, Maisy sighed. “Did you see his face when you asked to see him?”

“Unfortunately, yes. He was delighted.”

“Are you going to break up with him?”

“I think I have to. This situation just isn’t fair to him.”

“Good luck, sweetie.”

When Seth walked into her room four hours later, Annie knew that nothing would make this a lucky day. The room was shadowy from the clouds outside, accenting how Annie felt internally.

Seth seemed so happy to be with her that it broke her heart. He sat at one of the kids’ tables as he’d done a hundred times.

She pulled a chair up on the other side and reached for his hands. He grasped hers willingly. “I know you’ve been unhappy with me.”

“I’m unhappy because you are.”

Here goes…She drew in a heavy breath, let it out. “I’ve been keeping something from you. Remember I told you that I had a bad breakup with a guy in my past.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t give details.”

“You didn’t need them, then.”

“But I do now?”

“No, not exactly. I’m sure you heard the news about the shooting downtown ten days ago.”

“Of course, the city lost a lot of cops. Oh, Annie no, was he one of them?”

She didn’t deserve this guy.

“He was involved. He was the only survivor.”

“Diego Rodriguez. I remember thinking I wouldn’t want to be him.”

“He’s having a hard time.”

“How do you know that?”

“I went to the hospital to see him.”

“That’s okay, honey. It was the right thing to do.”

“No, Seth, it wasn’t. My feelings for Diego were…reawakened.”

“By seeing him once?”

“I visited him more.”

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