“And he still tried to make it work. Until he couldn’t make it work anymore.”
I said nothing.
“He had her put in a facility for people with mental illnesses, a medical institution, and it nearly killed him.”
My sister had lived in a facility during her teen years. That was how she met Mason.
“When one personality is hell-bent on killing people, it’s the only thing you can do. It broke his heart.” She stared at me so long that it became uncomfortable.
“You know about my sister.” I didn’t ask it as a question, because I felt like she probably already did.
“I do.” She sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly. “But your sister is the exception to the rule. She’s not like Megan. Or Marley for that matter.”
“There were only two of them?”
“As far as he knows, yes.”
“And Marley has been gone for a long time.”
“Yes.”
“And you don’t want me to be here.”
This was the most candid conversation I’d ever had with a person I’d only just met. But I appreciated her honesty.
“I think you need to be here. Because you’re probably the only one who can find Marley.”
“And Megan.”
“And Megan,” she said with a nod. “But don’t make him fall in love with you. Please.”
I snorted. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
She said nothing. She just stared at me.
No one had ever loved me. Except for Lynn, and she didn’t even like me most of the time. She’d never understood the way my mind worked. “I have been told I’m not the lovable sort. So I think he’s safe.”
“Shelly!” I heard him call from down the hall. “You can shower if you want!”
“Be right there!” I called back. “Thank you for breakfast,” I said. “It was wonderful.”
“You heed my words, you hear?” She challenged me with the fierceness of her gaze.
“I’ll certainly try.”
But Clark was safe. I wasn’t the lovable sort, and if he didn’t know that already, he would soon.
I grabbed my bag from the entryway and went to Clark’s room, where I stopped and stared. He had a manly room, with dark furniture made from heavy wood. It was neat and tidy, and he had a huge bed against one wall.
“The guest room is down the hall, but there’s no bathroom attached to that one, so just let me know when you’re finished.” He looked around like he was uncomfortable having me in his space. “MeeMaw uses the main bathroom, and her junk is spread all over the counters, or I would send you there.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly, my bag still over my shoulder. I avoided looking at him, because the conversation with MeeMaw had left me feeling unsettled, and I didn’t like feeling like this. Not at all.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He took a step toward me. “Did she say something to upset you?”