Page 199 of Josephine and Clay

“That does sound like him.”

“Clay.”

The warning in Boone’s voice drags against my nerves.

I turn too quickly and pain shoots through my leg hard enough to make me swear.

His expression hardens further. “Have you even been taking care of yourself?”

“I’m alive.”

“That wasn’t the question.”

I grab the back of the desk chair hard enough for my knuckles to ache. “What do you want me to say?”

“The truth would be a good start.”

The only sound left is the air conditioner rattling in the window.

Boone steps closer slowly. “You left home injured, exhausted, angry at everybody, and acting like you were trying to outrun your own life. Then you call a woman in the middle of the night sounding drunk and miserable enough to scare her half to death.”

Guilt punches through me hard at that.

“She got worried?”

Rose gives me a look.

Idiot. Obviously, she got worried.

I scrub a hand over my jaw roughly.

“I’m fine,” I mutter again, weaker this time.

Boone exhales sharply through his nose. “You keep saying that like repetition’s gonna make it true.”

An ugliness rises in my chest after that.

Exhaustion, shame, and pain finally boil over.

“You know what?” I snap. “Maybe I just got tired of everybody acting shocked that I ended up exactly how Dad expected.”

Rose frowns slightly.

Boone just stares at me. “What the hell does that mean?”

I laugh bitterly and look away before either of them can see too much on my face.

“The money, Boone.”

“You’re still stuck on that?”

I look away before Boone can read too much from my face.

“You don’t get it,” I mutter.

“No,” Boone says slowly. “Apparently I don’t.”

I shake my head. “Forget it.”