Always and Forever at Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters

Author:Victoria Walters [Walters, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hera
Published: 2021-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Six

‘What are you talking about?’ Brodie cried as he reached out to touch my arm. ‘Why on earth would you think that?’

‘Because I was distracting Dad when it happened. I was arguing with him. I took off my seatbelt and he turned to help me, to talk to me, to make me see sense, and then suddenly the other car was on our side of the road. He had no time to swerve or get out of the way. It was my fault that he couldn’t stop it. That the car hit us.’ I let out a sob deep from the back of my throat. ‘It’s all my fault that we got hurt, and that other driver… He died.’ For the first time in years, I let the tears flow in front of my brother.

‘No,’ Brodie said so sharply that I looked up in surprise. He took my hand in his and squeezed it tightly. ‘I can’t believe you think that. That driver was drunk, Anna. His car skidded in the rain on the road and he couldn’t control it. He was going too fast. He ended up on the wrong side of the road. He was driving so fast that there was no way Dad could have reacted in time. It was his fault, Anna. Not yours. My god. Have you really believed that it was? For all these years? Why didn’t you say something?’

‘Because I thought you all hated me,’ I said, shocked. ‘He was drunk? You never told me that.’

‘But the police, they talked to all of us,’ Brodie said, confused. ‘They didn’t tell you?’

‘I got upset and the doctor told them to leave. My therapist kept telling me I had no need to feel guilty but I didn’t believe her, and I couldn’t bear to tell her what I’d done. And none of you wanted to talk about it. I thought… And then Dad stopped me going to the inquest.’

‘He wanted to spare you the pain. He wanted to protect you, not to upset you. We all did. I can’t believe you didn’t know the truth. Anna, is this why you stay away from us, from your home?’

I buried my head in my hands.

Brodie wrapped his arms around me and I stiffened but after I moment, I opened my arms and hugged him back. We held each other tightly as I tried to get my tears under control. All the years I’d felt so guilty and ashamed. I thought my family didn’t want me in their life. ‘It really wasn’t my fault?’ I said, finally, looking up, wiping my tears away.

‘I swear on God, on my family, on my unborn child… Anna, it wasn’t your fault. And we want you here. We love you. We always have. We want to have you in our lives, to know you, to be there for you. We want to take care of you.’

‘Why didn’t I know?’ I said, shaking my head. I’d had to write a statement for the inquest but I’d just written that I didn’t remember anything clearly.

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