“I feel like I’m not explaining anything very well,”
Dallas went on. “Especially when it comes to my parents. I
don’t want you to think of them as these horrible people who
are the villains of my story just because they made a mistake.
Everyone does, and I told you that they supported me and
continue to now, but I can’t tell you about all the times they’ve
been there for me, ever since I was little. Some of those times
you know, but after I left, you don’t know about any of those
ones. They’ve been amazing. Just- just incredible. I couldn’t
ask for two more kind-hearted people in my life. I know that if
you came back to Tampa with me, they’d welcome you like
they always did. They liked you. They liked your family. You
were my best friend. I know that they’re not warm like your
parents are, and that they have a hard time putting themselves
out there because they’re shy, but they always loved you. They
really did.”
“That’s why they wanted you to leave then?” Quinn
was just asking. She wasn’t judging this time.
“They thought giving me a fresh start would be the
best thing they could do. Remember, they were listening to
other people’s opinions. Friends and people they trusted. It
was bad advice. I can’t really go back and explain to you
everything they thought or did, and I can’t justify it, but it
wasn’t personal. It hurt them after, seeing me in pain because I
missed you so much. I think they realized that they’d done
something terrible as soon as we moved, but they had already
got new jobs and bought the house, and they couldn’t go back
on it. I never mentioned wanting to go back. I felt like I
couldn’t look back either, because of what I’d told you. They
never knew that I said any of that to you. To them, they