Ivy's breath caught. She could almost feel the claustrophobia of that space — the helpless, terrifying stillness.
"He only remembered when my mum asked him that night. She thought I was in my room doing homework. She panicked, of course. She came for me herself. And then…She took the blame. Told my grandfather it was her fault. Said she forgot me in the car. She knew he would do anything to protect her from the law but not my dad. She sacrificed herself to protect the man who nearly killed me."
He gave a bitter laugh. "It became a whole cover-up."
"Why didn't you ever tell anyone?" she whispered.
Winn turned his head to look at her. "Because I realized my own parents broke my heart," he said quietly. "And I didn't want to break it further. The people I trusted most… they were the ones who hurt me. And if I told anyone, it'd just make it real again. I didn't want it to be real anymore."
Ivy swallowed, her throat tight. "I'm sorry," she murmured.
