She felt Wink rise from his chair. “Don’t,” Vivvie said, her insides shattering, sharp and loud as glass. “Please. Just leave me be.” He was next to her now, touching her shoulder. She jerked away. But a wail sprung, a series of retched cries broke free. Make it stop, she thought, make it stop. Stop. Stop. But it would not. It gained in strength, a torrent of sobs drowning out the room. This was not about what she’d done to Jackson, not about being sorry for that. This was grief, plain and simple, long in the coming, a greedy, wretched sorrow laying her to waste. Vivvie wailed, recalling a
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