Ethan
Aria has every right to be angry. She should be. She's got a right to know. I promised we'd uncover the truth together but how do I tell her that the truth is uglier than either of us imagined? That her father wasn't just unlucky with money, he was trapped in gambling and drugs. That he signed away pieces of their lives to survive things no daughter should ever learn about the man she loved.
That thought made my mouth go dry. It's why I didn't follow her when she stormed out. I couldn't face her with half-truths. Standing at the door just now, I'd been trying to steady my breathing, force myself into some plan, some careful way to say it so it didn't shatter her. Because I can't sleep when she's angry at me. And I can't bring myself to tell her this now.
I let out a long breath an
