“Even though he’s the reason I lost my leg?”
Ryan’s face crumpled.
“I know how it sounds. I know it’s complicated. But he’s family. And he’s dying.”
I sat there in silence, trying to process everything.
“He’s dying.”
Marie squeezed my shoulder.
“Andrea, what do you want to do?”
I looked at Cody. Then at Ryan.
“I’m angry,” I said finally.
“I’m angry that you lied to me. I’m angry that you kept this from me for five years. I’m angry that you let me believe our entire relationship was built on some fairy tale meet-cute when it was actually built on a tragedy.”
“I’m angry that you lied to me.”
Ryan nodded, tears streaming down his face.
“But I also understand why you did it.”
“Andrea… I…”
“You were trying to protect him. You were trying to protect me. You were trying to hold everything together even when it was falling apart.”
I looked at Cody.
“What you did was unforgivable. You took something from me that I can never get back.”
He nodded, sobbing.
