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Henrik and I hug when he drops me off. “Keep me posted, please.”
“Always.” Hen winks, and I shut the car door behind me, making my way inside my dad’s house.
“Hen texted me the news about Harvey! Oh, my God, Gemma, is he okay? Are you?”
I used the restroom at my dad’s to brush my teeth before calling my sister.
“He says he’s fine and that he wasn’t going to go through with it, but still, you never know.”
“Seriously, wow!”
“Yeah. When I saw him, he looked happier, like he wanted to get better. He finally agreed to therapy.”
“That’s good. Baby steps. I still can’t believe it though. I mean—it’sHarvey.He’s the last person you’d think would try and commit suicide.”
“None of us will ever understand what he went through.”
“True.”
We talk about Athena for a while before I ask her if I can stay at her cottage for a few days. I’ve had this urge to run away ever since I finished the journal earlier today. Harvey’s news amplified that decision. And I can’t think of a better spot than Gia’s cottage.
“Of course. James and his dad opened it up for spring recently.”
I have the keys—Gia’s way of making sure I always felt welcomed there.
“But wait. Is this about Harvey, or did Damon do something?”
“It’s neither, really.” I’d never tell her what I found out about Damon. That’s a secret I’ll be taking to my grave—as if I don’t have enough guilt feeding off me already. “I just need space and some clarity. I need nature. I needmetime.”
“Then go ahead. When were you thinking of heading there?”
“Right now, actually.”
“Okay. Text me when you get there.”
“I will,” I tell her, glad she doesn’t pester me with further questions.
We hang up, and I use my dad’s car to drive to Damon’s. Once I’m there, I grab my luggage from a spare room and start packing.
Damon’s going to be mad I didn’t email him to tell him I left. God, as if more time off work is what I need right now. But his feelings are the last thing I should be considering. He sure didn’t care about mine when he kept the accident a secret.
At what point was he thinking of telling me—if he even was at all?
How could heeverthink I would easily let this go? TheyruinedHarvey’s life.
For so long, he stopped smiling. Does he know what that does to someone? Although Damon doesn’t know much about smiling anyway.
I’m angry, so furious inside I can feel it. The filters in my brain are unveiling all the wicked thoughts I usually contain. A few seeds of doubt resurface, telling me I could be jumping to conclusions, but my instincts are strong on this one. Damon knew something and covered it up.
He lied to me.
So, I leave the purple journal on the kitchen counter, knowing he’ll find it when he gets home, and he’ll understand why I left.
A hollowness opens inside me as I drive to the cottage. My phone keeps vibrating against the cup holder, and I know it must be Damon calling.
The drive there is peaceful. It’s about an hour away, and there isn’t much traffic on my way there. I even stop by a local grocery store to stock up on food and other items.
When I arrive, it’s just me in the wooden, medium-size cottage. I use the thermostat to warm the room before putting the food away, then store my clothes in the drawers and closet.
