Break Me (The Summer Series) by Harper James Page B

outburst as well as her remorse. Why had she attacked
Karen for saying she looked beautiful, and further, since when did hurting
Karen’s feelings make her feel this terrible. She had made it a habit of going
out of her way to let Karen and her father know her distaste for them since she
was a child.
    “Gemma, wait up,” Kate yelled from behind her. Gemma
could hear her feet pounding on the concrete as she ran after her. “That was
pretty brutal. You okay?”
    “Yeah, I just . . . I’m sorry if that made you
mad or whatever. I just lost if for a minute.” Gemma shook her head and took a
deep, calming breath.
    “Hey, they screwed up. I get it. I’m just going
to say this once, so please don’t get mad and write me off like before, but
Gem, you have to let it go eventually. You can’t carry this stuff around
forever; it’ll drive you nuts.”
    Gemma studied her little sister for a moment,
letting the words she knew in the back of her head were true fully sink in. “Wow,
cheerleader, that almost sounded like an insightful statement,” she said,
letting sarcasm mask her confusion.
    Kate clicked her tongue. “Almost.”
    “I know that I have to let it go, but
you can’t possibly understand what it was like for me.” Gemma turned and
started to walk, hoping the conversation would just disappear.
    “So explain it.” Kate grabbed Gemma’s arm and
pulled her to a stop. Facing her and waiting, Kate crossed her arms almost
protectively. Gemma knew then that whatever she said would affect them forever
and Kate’s reply would do the same.
    “He left. She was a few months pregnant and he
just bailed not because he was scared but because he just didn’t want us.” She
looked at Kate, begging her with her eyes for understanding not only of the
words but the emotional toll all those years had taken. “I have had to live
with that my entire life. And any time I’d let myself forget it, my mother
would remind me. Even when he did see me during the summer, he spent all of his
time hiding in the loft, writing. I think in my entire life I have spent less
time with him than I have with you this summer. You can’t imagine how that
feels. I’m sorry, but your mother is the one that he replaced us with. It’s
just too hard.” Gemma dropped her eyes to the road, scared to look at Kate any
longer and scared to see how their new relationship would suffer because of her
words.
    “You aren’t the only one who had to grow up
with him as a father, you know?” Kate’s words surprised Gemma enough that she
looked up and couldn’t miss the hurt that swam in Kate’s eyes. “Gray and I,
we’re so ashamed of him.” Kate shrugged and cleared her throat, clearly
affected by her own words. “Why do you think I tried so hard to get you to like
me and Gray tried so hard to be invisible? We knew we were part of why you
hated him—part of the reason you thought he didn’t care about you. But
this summer it’s been different for the three of us. It’s as if you finally
understood that none of us kids are to blame. It’s him. The thing is it was Dad
who made the decision. My mom is just as innocent as yours. She didn’t know
about you, not until it was too late. I’m not saying you need to be best
friends with her. I’m just saying try not to hate her so much.”
    Gemma wrapped the now-crying Kate in her arms,
guilt setting in, but she knew somewhere in the back of her mind it just wasn’t
enough. She still wasn’t ready to embrace Karen, and she wasn’t sure that she
ever would be. “Kate, it’s okay. I’ll try. I promise.” Gemma lied as Kate
relaxed into her.
    Kate smiled at Gemma and wiped her eyes. “I’m
sorry; apparently, I’m a cry baby.”
    “Nah.” Gemma rubbed her back. “Just a girl.”
    “Shut up.” Kate laughed. They quickly composed
themselves and started walking again.
    ~~~
    “What’s up, my ladies?” Emily yelled
from down the beach. Both girls laughed as they approached her. They could