Cherry texts me late at night. Can we say obsessed? You flash someone one time... *sexy smirk*

No matter how awful my Edward is, Cinny wants him naked. Here, you dropped this. Whispers, "It's your dignity."

Readers: Y'all are quite divided. "Good for Justice!" or "I'd never leave him!" hehe. I'll let you argue amongst yourselves while I eat my Mama's birthday cupcakes.

Chapter Twenty-One

"Child?"

Memaw opens the door and I collapse into her, soaking wet and drained. My bare feet are covered in mud and leaves and everything God decided Forksdale didn't need. Memaw's bones are brittle, but she's strong as she holds me against her chest. She feels and smells like home.

"Renee! Get me a blanket!"

I hear Mama gasp and the shuffling of feet from my other family members.

"Justice? Is that—"

"Renee, now!" Memaw shouts at her and closes the door behind us with one hand. Daddy runs over, lifting me into his arms. The house is totally dark and everyone is crowded into the living room where candles are lit.

"Move that pillow, Embry!" Daddy barks at my little brother, and I'm laid gently on the living room sofa. I remain in the fetal position, curled into myself.

"What happened to her?" Rosie Kate asks in a trembling voice. A thick blanket is placed over me, but I'm facing the back part of the sofa. I can't see them but I feel my family hovering over me, protective and worried.

"That sheriff!" Mama spits bitterly. "I knew it and now—"

"Hush it, Renee!" Memaw reprimands her. "You did this. You drove her away; you and all of your nonsense! For once in your life, shut up! She's back home. That's all that matters."

My eyes flutter, but I can't keep them open. The spot between my legs still aches and it's as if he's still there. I wish he wasn't. Flashes of us and his secrets race through my mind and they make me lightheaded. I don't want to think of him.

I don't want to think at all.

"I knew I should have driven out there," Memaw says quietly, rubbing my back.

"The roads are too bad," Daddy reminds her. "We barely got home ourselves. She'll be fine. She's strong and just needs some rest. Boys, Rosie Kate, go lay back down."

"But—"

"Now, Riley James."

My brother mutters under his breath and I inhale-exhale unevenly. There's a half-beat of scuffling as my siblings lie on the floor. It's a comfort having them all here, even though I'm too weak to speak and my muscles burn. There's nothing like having family.

Family is everything.

They jump on your bed early in morning, just to wake you up and see your grumpy face. Family is cutting the last hot-cake in half, because you'd rather them not go without. Family is annoying, loud, no-privacy, can-I-go-with-you, you-take-the-last-one, how-about-we-share faith and unity.

Family just is.

And then there are those who don't give a shit about theirs. They abandon them, leave them, claim to love them, claim to sacrifice for them, but in reality they are selfish and greedy.

And those people—the ones who have everything … the Breakers of the world—deserve nothing.

.

.

.

"Justice?" Rosie Kate pokes me in the cheek, grinning widely. "The lights are back on!"

I groan, rolling over to see scattered covers on the floor, but no one is in them. My feet and legs throb and Rosie helps me sit upright as I adjust my eyes. The electricity is running and I hear loud noises coming from the kitchen.

"What time is it?" I yawn.

"Ummm…" Rosie Kate runs around the corner and then back. "The big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 10. It's 100 thirty!"

I shake my head, half-grinning. "10 o'clock."

"That's what I said!" Rosie wraps her arms around my neck, squeezing me tightly. "I'm glad you're back, Justice. I don't have anyone to play with! Mama's been making me do your chores and Embry won't help and Riley James said you weren't ever coming back. I told him he was wrong and I was right and now he has to clean my room for a week! Can you make sure he holds his end of the bardgen?"

"Bargain," I correct her. "Sure."

"Good." Rosie kisses my cheek. "'Cause I losted a peanut butter sandwich in there and its starting to smell funny…"

I roll my eyes and swing off my blanket. The dress I'm wearing smells like rain and clings partly to my body. Moaning, I stand up and make my way to the stairs to take a shower. Mama stops me on the second step.

"Justice?" I turn my head and she's standing in the hall with a spatula in her hand.

She looks different, older and stressed out. There are more wrinkles on her forehead and her bun is slightly undone. Her voice is softer, and for once she isn't yelling.

"Yeah?"

"After breakfast, we need to talk."

I nod. There's no avoiding the inevitable. While part of me hates that she's prying and that I'm going to receive the verbal lashing of a lifetime, another part of me just wants someone to talk to. It's heavy; this burden I'm carrying and the secrets I'm hiding for someone who doesn't deserve it.

When I'm undressed and the hot water is streaming down my face, I finally let all of yesterday sink in. I grab a washcloth, lather it with soap, and wash my body clean. I scrub until my skin turns red, until there's no evidence of him left.

"It was always you, Justice."

"I stole that money. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"You're so fucking beautiful."

"Pop killed him and the next thing I know, I'm running for sheriff. The ballots have my name on them and I actually liked having that power."

"You ever been in love before?" I whisper. "No," he answers honestly. "But my feet are starting to get mighty light."

"I walked out outside and my brother and sister came running past me…"

"When I look at you, everything stops spinning."

"The blood, Justice. It was everywhere. I couldn't get it off for days."

"Promise me. Promise me forever."

I choke and my cries echo off the shower tiles. I cover my mouth, sliding down the wall and trying to hide the noise. My legs shake and I squeeze my eyelids closed, only for more tears to trickle down. The hot steam of the shower blends with them, suffocating me whole.

Don't remember, I tell myself. Just forget.

As the heated water burns my skin, I know it's easier said than done.

.

.

.

Breakfast carries on and it's like I never left. I'm grateful for it, the normalcy of it all. Mama makes Rosie Kate eat all of her scrambled eggs. Embry and Riley James kick each other under the table, seeing who will yell out first. Daddy rambles on about the weather, giving everyone a detailed newscast.

"River's flooded," he continues, sipping on his coffee. "Mayor called me earlier. Said half the roads are covered in debris and trees are knocked down. Most folks still don't have electricity."

"We'll go to the church," Mama offers. "Hand out supplies and food and whatever else anyone needs."

I chew slowly. The taste of fresh sausage is unsettling on my stomach. I feel sick and it has nothing to do with the food.

"It's baby making season, all right," Memaw adds. "Folks get locked in and shacked up. Yep, alotta May conceptions. Why, there'll be New Year's Day babies popping out left and right."

"That's enough." Daddy narrows his eyes and Memaw shrugs innocently.

"What? I'm telling the truth. You were made in the dark, yessiree. Why, your father had my leg over his shoulder and we had to go slow 'cause you know that man leaned to the left. That's why you got a leaner, Charlie. Noticed it the second you were born!"

"Mother!" Daddy frowns and Mama hides her laughter behind her napkin.

"Don't be ashamed. It doesn't matter how, just as long as the beaver's getting bashed. Personally, I'm partial to a little spear in the rear myself."

Riley James snickers and I wrinkle my nose in disgust. Daddy shakes his head and stands up. "Breakfast is over. I reckon I'm going to head into town, see who needs what."

"All right, Lefty," Memaw replies. "The rest of us will head over to the church later."

Daddy storms off and Mama clears her throat. She tells Memaw and the children to clean up the kitchen and gestures for me to follow her. I do, and she leads me outside to the front porch. It's absolutely still outside, but sticks and branches have blown all over the yard. The sky is cloudy and it's as gloomy as I feel.

Mama takes a seat in a wicker rocking chair and I sit beside her, straightening the hem of my dress.

"Pretty out, ain't it?" she begins, her feet rocking against the wooden planks.

"I don't think so," I reply slowly. "Storm ruined everything."

"Not everything, Justice. It brought you home."

I say nothing and bite my lower lip. I feel the guilt creeping up on me and it's stifling. I abandoned her and I guess that makes me no better than him.

"Mama, I'm sorry." My saliva gets caught in my throat and I find it hard to swallow. I take the blame for everything—for fighting and fussing and leaving and for loving a boy who didn't even love himself.

Mama pats my hand softly. "Been too hard on you. I just … you know, I loved your father the first day I ever saw him. He was handsome. Tall. Was as sweet as pie. I told my own daddy about him and he forbid me to see him."

I gasp in shock. "Why?"

"Charlie was a salt miner. Daddy told me a boy like him won't good enough for his daughter. We'd sneak off in the middle of the night just to see each other. He'd bring me flowers and we'd gaze at the Louisiana stars…" Mama smiles at the memory. "I remember being angry at Daddy though. I couldn't understand why it mattered. See, I was young and I figured love would get us through anything. And then Charlie's father died, right there in the mines. The opening collapsed, killed every single one of 'em."

"Oh no…" I moan. Poor Memaw.

"Yep. After that happened, I begged Charlie to leave. He wouldn't of course. I think in his own head he had to be near his father. Eventually I convinced him and my daddy came around after and got him an errand job on the board. He worked his way up and here we are."

"You got your happily ever after," I say quietly.

"I did," Mama agrees. "But I lied doing it. I manipulated Charlie into leaving what he loved. I fibbed to Daddy to get Charlie in the courthouse. I did a lot of wrong things and I'm doing it again. Only this time it's with you. I took away your choice, Justice."

I ignore the last part as tears well up in my eyes. "But it worked out for you."

"At what cost? I eventually told Charlie the truth and he didn't speak to me for days. It put a strain on our marriage I can't take off. I want you married, Justice. That'll never change. I want you to be a lady and to be a good wife and to be loyal to a man as God wants. You weren't meant to go through life alone. But with who? That's not for me to say. I thought Tyler 'cause he's a good boy. Smart as can be and comes from a good family. But he's not who you want."

I let the tears fall, because finally … finally when she comes around, I have to tell Mama she was right all along.

"I don't know what I want anymore," I sob. "The sheriff and I … we …"

"Shhh," Mama leans over and wraps her arm around my shoulder. Kissing my forehead, she smoothes the strands along my temple. "I don't know why you came home, Justice. But whatever the reason was, I know you'll find a way to overcome it. I miss you here, I truly do. And in no way do I want you shacking up with a boy before marriage. It's sinful and immoral … but eventually, you're going to have to leave again. And this time I want it to be on your terms with me holding the train of your wedding dress, not with us crying and fussing."

"It's not going to happen Mama. Too many lies…"

"Better now than later, sug. It takes a strong man to admit when he's wrong; to confess his sins out loud. Even after what I did, Charlie forgave me out of the goodness of his heart. You know why?"

I shake my head, wiping my eyes.

"Because deep down, Charlie remembers us. He remembers the smile I always had for him and our late nights and counting the stars until the sun rose. That's what love is, Justice. It's not holding on to all of the bad things. It's remembering the good. And when you do that, when you love in spite of, that's when you get your happy ending."

Sniffling, I think about her words. I do want that, but what Breaker did is worse than anything Mama could imagine. He lied to everyone, and good folks died and people got hurt. I don't know how we come back from that. I don't know if I even want to.

"And you know what?" Mama grins and looks out towards the horizon. "Everything worked out for the best."

"What did?" I ask curiously.

"The salt mines. Charlie used to work in the east mines and now they're closed. In a way, all that lying I did years earlier saved us from struggling now. I told you, sug, that's why you gotta stay prayed up."