Page 76 of The Perfect Secret
“What’s my fault?”
“They weren’t there.”
“Who wasn’t there?”
Tess bit her lip and Dan blew out a breath in frustration. “I can’t fix anything if you don’t clarify the problem.”
“I invited Hannah and her grandma to the art show and they didn’t come. All because you had the stupid idea to break up with her. I hate you!”
Racing past him, she ran out of the apartment.
Tess burst into tears at Hannah’s door. “I hate him!”
Hannah pulled Tess against her as she led the girl into her apartment. All of Hannah’s own pain leaked out of this girl. Hannah’s heart ached anew. She led the sobbing teen to the sofa. Together, they sat until she calmed down. Drawing gasping, stuttering breaths, Tess accepted the glass of water Hannah’s grandmother offered.Bubbesat across the room, silent, but watchful.
“Don’t hate him because of me, Tess,” Hannah said.
“I don’t. I mean, I do because of that also, but it’s not the main reason.”
Feeling stupid, Hannah shrugged. “Okay, do you want to tell me why you hate him?”
“Because he hates me.”
“Oh, honey, no he doesn’t.”
“Yes. He does.” She pulled away from Hannah with a glare.
“Okay, why do you think he hates you?”
“When he thinks he likes something too much, he gets rid of it. It’s why he broke up with you. He doesn’t want to tempt himself to overdo it, to become addicted to it.”
Addicted.
Bubbemade a sound. Hannah started to shake and clamped her jaw to suppress her teeth from chattering out of her head.
“It’s why I hate him. Because he must hate me or he wouldn’t want me around either.”
Hannah grasped Tess’s face between her hands, forcing the teen to look at her. “You may be right about everything else, but I know he loves you more than life. Never, ever doubt him. You’re the one person in his life he’ll never throw away. In fact,” she drew a deep breath, “I think it’s why he got rid of everything else. Because he wants to make sure he can take care of you.” No matter what she might think of him, Dan was a great father.
Dissolving into tears, Tess leaned into Hannah and Hannah held her while she tried to brush off what Tess had said. It was just a turn of phrase, she told herself, as Tess launched into a second round of sobs. Dan couldn’t really be an addict. Teenagers were dramatic. When the second round of sobs quieted, Hannah smoothed Tess’s hair away from her face. “What happened to make you fight?”
“Why weren’t you at my art show?”
Hannah’s stomach dropped. The art show. It was on her calendar, but she’d assumed Dan wouldn’t want her there. She also assumed Dan would explain things to Tess.
“Oh sweetheart, I’m sorry. I assumed we were no longer invited. I didn’t realize you’d still want us there.”
Tess picked a piece of lint off her sleeve and Hannah pulled her into another hug. “I’m sorry.”
“I am too,”Bubbesaid. “Does your dad know you’re here?”
Tess shook her head.
“You should text him to make sure he doesn’t worry about you,” Hannah said.
“He won’t care.”
Hannah shook her head. “Tess, I’m telling you, you’re wrong.”