”So you’re going to make your own way. Like you have for the past twenty years?”

”Oh, now, that hurt. Please tell me you didn’t come all the way down here just to fuck with me.”

”I came all the way down here to try to talk some sense into that thick head of yours. If you don’t come stay with us, where are you going to go? What are you going to do?”

”I have friends.”

”What kind of friends? Dealers and users? You need to stay away from those people.”

”Yeah?” The green eyes flashed, but Caroline held her gaze. ”What I don’t need is a lecture from my brother’s wife. Why are you doing this, anyway?

Why isn’t Joe here?”

Caroline leaned forward on her elbows. ”I’m doing this because I care about you. We both care about you. We just want to try to help. And Joe isn’t here because he can’t stand to see you in this place again.

It tears him up.”

”Seeing me in here tears him up? He ought to try living in here for a while. It’d give him some compassion for his clients.”

”He has plenty of compassion for his clients, especially you. He’s done everything he could possibly do for you, including sending you money every month.”

”I’ll be sure to send him a thank-you note when I get out.”

”God dammit, Sarah, why do you have to be so cynical? Why can’t you believe that somebody could care enough about you to want to help? That’s all it is.

There aren’t any strings attached.”

”No strings? What if I feel like getting high tomorrow night?”

”I said there weren’t any strings. But there will be rules. If any of us sees one sign of drugs or booze, you’re out the door.”

Sarah smiled. ”And there it is. We’ll love you, Sarah, unless you do what you’ve always done. If you do that, we won’t love you anymore.”

”We’ll still love you. We just won’t help you destroy yourself.”