Free Carter (The Harlow Brothers Book 1) by Brie Paisley Page A

come back, and it is her fault for what happened. If she never left he wouldn’t have started drinking. If she hadn’t left, then he wouldn’t have gotten in the car. He wouldn’t have …” My voice broke, but I don’t stop. My anger was fueling me, and I had to say it out loud because then, I wouldn’t feel like I could die. “I blame her for what happened to that family. It is her fault. Dad drank because my mother didn’t love him. Don’t tell me otherwise. You didn’t live through it. You didn’t see what I did. Don’t you dare say it’s only because he was sick!” My tears flowed down my face again, and I slowly lowered my arm when Carter stood. He didn’t say anything, but I knew he understood. Carter had always understood me.
    He took me in his arms again when I started shaking and held me as I let the pain and anger out. He didn’t have to say anything because I knew he’d always be here for me. He was my best friend, and I knew he’d forgive me for yelling at him. As all the emotions poured out of me, I realized that if Carter were to ever leave me, I didn’t think I could survive it.
    “Shelby?” Caden’s voice pulls me out of one of the many bad memories I have. I unclench my hand around my necklace, placing it back inside my shirt. I sigh, and glance back at him with tears in my eyes.
    “Want to go somewhere with me?” I ask with a shaky voice.
    “Yeah, sure. Where do you want to go?”
    I look back out the window as I say, “I want to go see my Dad.”

    The drive to the cemetery is quiet and shorter than I remembered. Caden drives as I sit in the passenger seat of his car, and the silence is welcome. I haven’t been to my father’s grave in a long time. I used to go before I left for South Carolina, but once I started a new life there, I couldn’t make myself return.
    I stare out the window, trying to keep the tears away. I don’t want to have a breakdown in the car, or in front of Caden. It seems all I do lately is cry, or feel the darkness creeping in around my heart. I have a feeling Caden understands my pain. I turn to him with tears in my eyes as he squeezes my hand. He looks at me with his deep blue eyes, and I can tell he knows. The Harlow brothers and I were so close. They all shared my pain, and just having Caden here, means more to me than he knows. I couldn’t do this on my own. He slowly lets my hand go, and I face the window again. I try to focus on the cars around us, and the buildings we pass as we make it further out of the city, but it’s all a blur. I blink rapidly, failing at holding back the tears. I don’t wipe them away as they fall, choosing to let out all the pain out. Caden stops and parks the car, turning to me to ask, “Do you want me to go with you?”
    I shake my head, staring at my hands in my lap. “Thank you, but this is something I need to do alone.” He doesn’t respond, and after a moment, I open the car door. I know if I need him, he’ll be right here for me. I take a deep breath as I exit the car, and make my way towards my father’s grave. It’s strange how nothing has seemed to have changed since the last time I was here. It’s a typical cemetery, although a depressing place to visit, the grounds keeper has kept the place nice and clean. I slowly walk down the familiar path that leads to his grave, and as I get closer, my chest starts to tighten. I almost want to run, to get away from the never-ending sadness I start to feel. But, this is something I have to do. This is something I need to do. I remember coming here and sitting by my Dad’s grave just to talk to him. Now it seems silly, but as a child and even as a teenager, it was comforting to have somewhere to go and talk about what was going on in my life, or just to get things off my chest.
    Especially when Mom was her normal hateful self. This was the place I always would run to when I needed to escape. Even from Carter, sometimes.
    Once I reach my destination, I sit on my