The handsome man in front of her smiled sarcastically, and Bella felt her heart ache. What her father did to Reef must have hurt him so much that he insulted Bella like this.
"Why?" asked Reef. "Don't tell me you don't know. You're just pretending."
"I really don't know!" snapped Bella under her breath. "You think you're the only one who feels played? Eight years ago, when our family left Saco, I was told that my father had taken care of everything. Aunt Ruth said he talked to you and like me, you were heartbroken but understood."
"No, I didn't. I wasn't told. All the townspeople knew about your moving plans, except me."
"What really happened?" asked Bella softly. "In the end, word of your rampage reached my ears from Mariel and Brenda. Since then I've never come here again because I feel guilty. No one told me then that you followed me to New York. Mariel told me yesterday. But she didn't want to tell me more. What did my father say to you then?"
