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“Jade, I’m not his dad. He doesn’t want that from me.”
There was a part of me that always wondered if that were true. But Atticus was just as stubborn as Gabriel. It was clear he cared about his stepson deeply, but he was wary about overstepping.
“I still owe him an apology,” I said. “Part of which I’ll deliver today. Go get to work. Seriously.”
Atticus’s mouth tightened as he considered it. “Fine. Thank you.”
I stepped inside while he gathered his things. The apartment was a mess, but I could see where he was working on picking it up. Everything was silent, which meant no one was awake.
I’d barely slept. I was too busy trying and failing to accept what Gabriel had drunkenly told me.
It changed everything.
The way he seemed so resigned made sense. He knew he was out of his element, but he was trying.
He just needed help.
One of the doors opened, and I watched a tiny figure with dark hair walking out. When she saw me, she stopped.
At first glance, I thought it was Agnes, but her cheeks were slightly rounder, her hair a touch wavier too.
“Hi,” I said.
“Stranger,” she said. “Are you here to kidnap me?”
“No. Your sister knows me. I’m Jade from next door.”
Beatrice. Her name was Beatrice.
She tried to give me the same glare Agnes would, but she was far too cute for it. I made myself keep a straight face.
“How is your hair like that?” she asked.
“I dye it.”
“You kill your hair?”
“In a way, yes. A lot of work goes into this.”
“You look weird.”
“I am weird.”
Another figure came around the corner. She was carrying a blanket, but I knew this twin.
“Hi, Agnes.”
Agnes blinked. “Did you break in? Where’s the other guy?”
“Atticus just left. I took over.”
Beatrice grabbed her sister’s shoulder to get her attention. “Do you think she’ll call the police?”
“I already tried. She’s smart.”
Beatrice’s bottom lip poked out.
“I do have cereal,” I offered, showing off the box I’d brought with me. “I have Agnes’s favorite.”
