Chapter 36: Missed Connections

[Lily]

I could still feel the burn of Atticus' lips as I watched his car drive away.

It wasn't a kiss, it was an assault, a fit of anger and frustration. And yet…

"He is grieving," I say, trying to convince myself that it must be true. "He didn't mean it." But even as I say these words I do not believe them entirely. There was pain there, so much pain, but I can’t help but feel there was something else.

He feels so much more than he lets on to others. He wants people to see him as confident, cocky, and in control. But he is still just a kid, just like me. 17 years old is so young to feel the weight of an entire family dynasty on his shoulders.

He was acting in anger and grief. But that doesn’t mean everything he said or did was wrong. It just feels like lately I cannot speak to Atticus, not with the unpredictable flavor of his feelings. These days I’m not sure if I’m going to get the bitter or the sweet.

Looking down at my outfit, I see the changes that Madison made--the torn hem