Four hours had passed since Kate left the therapy center behind, and the road back to Willow Creek stretched out in front of them.
The car had been quiet for too long.
Kate rested her head against the window, watching the trees blur past, her reflection faint and distorted in the glass. She hadn't said a word since earlier.
Sam glanced at her briefly, then back at the road. Her fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
"You're gonna tell me what that was," she said finally.
Kate didn't move. "What?"
Sam exhaled through her nose, shaking her head. "Don't do that."
Kate shifted in her seat, still looking outside. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yeah, you do," Sam replied, her voice flatter now. "You don't just say something like that and then pretend it didn't happen."
Kate's jaw tightened. She stayed quiet.
Sam glanced at her again, longer this time. "You said you fell in love with someone. That it got messed up. Start there."
Kate's fingers twitched slightly against her leg before going still again. "I don't want to."
"That's not an answer."
"It is for me."
Sam let out a quiet breath, tapping her fingers once against the wheel before gripping it again. "I'm not Mom, Kate. I'm not gonna judge you."
Kate let out a dry, humorless huff. "Yeah? Could've fooled me."
"I'm serious."
"Then drop it."
Sam shook her head, eyes still on the road. "I can't."
That made Kate turn slightly, just enough to look at her. "Why?"
"Because you don't look fine," Sam said, her tone softer now, but firmer. "And you keep saying you are."
Kate held her gaze for a second, then looked away again. "That sounds like a you problem."
Sam let out a small, disbelieving laugh. "Right."
Silence settled again, heavier this time.
Kate leaned her head back against the window, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again, like even that wasn't enough to shut things out.
"I didn't disappear," she muttered.
Sam's grip tightened again. "You did."
Kate didn't argue this time.
The car kept moving, steady, the road stretching forward like it had no intention of ending anytime soon.
"Alright, you wanna hear the undying truth about my fucked up head?" Kate said, staring ahead. "At my eighteenth birthday, we had a party."
Sam's grip tightened slightly on the wheel. "Kate…"
"And you weren't fucking there," Kate said, her voice tight. "When I was getting raped by some friend of Dad. You weren't there."
Sam's breath hitched. "Kate… what are you talking about?"
Kate let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Yeah. Exactly."
Sam's grip tightened on the wheel. "No—don't do that. What do you mean?"
"I mean, you were my big sister… and you left me there all alone," Kate said, her voice rising. "For some of your fucking friends, and went to Europe. When I most needed you!"
Sam shook her head quickly. "I didn't know, Kate—I swear, I didn't know."
Kate let out a bitter laugh. "Of course you didn't. You never do."
Sam's voice dropped, strained. "Then tell me now… don't do this again."
"Didn't they teach you in school what rape is?" Kate snapped.
Sam flinched. "Don't—don't say it like that."
Kate let out a sharp breath. "How should I say it then?"
Sam's voice shook slightly. "Just—Kate… what happened?"
"Want all the spicy details?" Kate said, her voice hollow. "Sorry, I only remember his laugh… and drunk breath. And then it's just a blur."
Sam swallowed hard. "Kate… I'm so sorry."
Kate let out a quiet, bitter breath. "Yeah. Me too."
Sam's grip tightened on the wheel. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"You should pull over…"
Sam didn't argue. She slowed down and pulled the car to the side. "Kate, what are you—"
Before she could finish, Kate reached across, grabbed Sam's phone from the center console, and tossed it out the open window.
It landed in the grass with a soft thud.
Sam stared at her, shocked. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"
Kate pushed the door open and stepped out.
Sam immediately followed, slamming her own door behind her. "Kate—what is wrong with you?!"
As she closed her window, Kate turned around, a bit paranoid. "The man who did this to me is dead."
Sam froze. "Dead…? What do you mean, dead?"
Kate crossed her arms, eyes scanning the empty road for a second. "I mean exactly that."
Sam shook her head slowly. "Kate… how?"
"Dad," Kate said simply.
Sam blinked, like the word didn't register at first. "What…?"
Kate didn't look at her. "He found him."
Sam's face tightened. "You're saying Dad killed him?"
Kate smiled.
Sam's expression faltered. "Kate… why are you smiling?"
Kate shrugged slightly. "He deserved it."
Sam shook her head, unsettled. "Kate… that's not— just don't say that."
"I'm just sad he didn't torture him much beforehand."
Sam stared at her, stunned. "Kate… don't say things like that."
Kate let out a quiet breath. "Why not? It's the truth."
Sam shook her head slowly. "No… that's not you."
"If someone raped you, would you go full Barbie? Like—yeah… he deserves a chance, maybe he made a mistake—"
Sam cut her off, shaking her head. "Stop. Don't twist it like that."
Kate scoffed. "I'm not twisting anything."
Sam stepped closer, voice firm. "No—stop. Don't say that."
"Just stop. You don't get to judge what Dad did. What he did for me."
Sam held her gaze, jaw tight. "I'm not— I'm worried about you, okay?"
Kate let out a sharp breath. "I'm fine."
Sam shook her head. "No… you're not."
"I hope you understand why I tossed the phones out for what I just told you."
Sam glanced toward the grass where they landed. "Yeah… I get it."
Kate crossed her arms slightly. "Good."
Sam looked back at her, more serious now. "Yeah… doesn't really make it easier."
"Wasn't easier to drag his body down the forest."
Sam went still. "Kate… what did you just say?"
Kate didn't look at her. "You heard me."
Sam's voice dropped, tense. "No—tell me exactly what you mean."
"Relax, I asked to help him. But he didn't let me. I just like to imagine…"
Sam let out a shaky breath. "Jesus, Kate… don't say things like that."
Kate shrugged slightly. "Why? It's not like I actually did it."
Sam looked at her, uneasy. "It doesn't make it better, Kate."
"And what would you do if you found me being raped? Pat him on the back?"
Sam's face hardened. "Don't—don't say that."
Kate held her stare. "Answer me."
Sam stepped closer, voice tight. "I'd stop him, Kate. I'd do anything to stop him."
"Even kill him?"
Sam hesitated, breath unsteady. "I'd do whatever it took to stop it."
Kate tilted her head slightly. "That's not what I asked."
Sam met her eyes, jaw tight. "I don't know… but I wouldn't let it happen."
"It's not like I'm a sociopath. Or Dad is. I'm a sociopath when it comes to people like him."
Sam shook her head, stepping closer. "That's not what that word means, Kate."
Kate crossed her arms. "I don't care what it means."
Sam's voice softened, but stayed firm. "I know you're angry. You have every right to be. But this isn't you."
"If God told me to choose between going to heaven and having revenge… I'd just torture him while I laughed."
Sam's face tightened. "Kate… listen to yourself."
Kate didn't look away. "I am."
Sam stepped closer, voice low but firm. "No—you're letting the worst thing that happened to you decide who you are."
"For what that fucker did to me? I'd do every possible horrible thing to make him pay."
Sam swallowed hard. "I know you're hurt… I know. But this—this isn't gonna fix anything."
Kate let out a sharp breath. "Do you?"
Sam held her gaze, steady. "I get that you're hurt. And angry."
"Nothing ever will."
Sam's voice softened. "I know."
Kate looked away. "So don't tell me how I'm supposed to feel."
Sam shook her head slightly. "I'm not… I just— I don't want you dealing with this alone."
"That's why I told you the truth. And you said you wouldn't judge me. But that's what you're doing right now."
Sam shook her head, voice steady. "I'm not judging you."
Kate let out a sharp breath. "Then what is this?"
Sam met her eyes. "I'm trying to understand you, Kate… I don't wanna lose you."
"This dog died three years ago. And it's like an anniversary for me every year."
She smiled.
Sam's expression faltered. "Kate… that's not— that's not good."
Kate's smile didn't change. "To me, it is."
Sam shook her head slowly. "Kate…"
"I'm not stuck. I just like to remember the good things in life."
Sam frowned slightly. "That's not what that sounds like."
Kate shrugged. "That's because you don't get it."
Sam held her gaze. "Then help me, okay?"
"Alright, so when a man likes a woman very much… but she doesn't like hiiiim…"
Sam's eyes narrowed slightly. "Kate… don't joke about this."
Kate tilted her head. "I'm not joking."
Sam's voice stayed firm. "Then don't make it sound like one."
"What more would you like to know? Can't endorse you with details—I don't remember them."
Sam's expression tightened. "I'm not asking for details."
Kate looked away. "Then what?"
Sam took a slow breath. "Then what am I supposed to do with this?"
"When I'm sad and think about it all… I remember Dad coming in. 'The fucker's dead,' and he was smiling… and all I did… was smile back."
Sam went quiet for a second. "That doesn't make you a bad person, Kate."
Kate let out a slow breath. "Feels like it should."
Sam shook her head gently. "No. It makes you someone who went through something horrible."
"And I hope he had it worse than me."
Sam went quiet for a second. "I get why you'd want that."
Kate's jaw tightened. "Do you?"
Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah… but I hate that he still gets to you like this."
"I know where he's buried. Wanna go and piss on his grave?"
Sam stared at her, caught off guard. "Kate… no."
Kate shrugged slightly. "Why not?"
Sam shook her head, voice firm. "That's not gonna do anything."
"Not like he has a tombstone or anything. Just a deep hole, where he's getting eaten by worms."
Sam's jaw tightened. "Kate… stop."
Kate shrugged, gaze drifting. "What? It's true."
Sam shook her head, voice low. "Kate… stop."
"You didn't stop him. You could have seen it. Dad saved me. You weren't there! So stop telling me what to do!"
Sam flinched, then shook her head. "I didn't know, Kate—I would've been there if I had."
Kate let out a harsh breath. "But you weren't."
Sam stepped closer, voice breaking. "I know… and I'm sorry."
Kate opened the door and stepped outside, walking over to the grass where the phones had landed. She picked both of them up, brushed them off, and got back into the car.
She closed the door quietly, then raised a finger to her lips, looking at Sam.
Sam frowned slightly, confused. "What are you doing?"
"You remember when Grandpa's friends used to come around?" Kate said, still holding her finger to her lips.
Sam frowned slightly. "Yeah… why?"
Kate met her eyes. "Omertà."
Sam went still, the meaning settling in. "Kate…"
"Grandpa would be proud, huh?" Kate smiled.
Sam looked at her, something uneasy in her expression. "I don't think so… he died in prison."
Kate held her gaze. "Yeah, but he never betrayed his family. He would choose us over the Cosa Nostra any day. And you know it."
Sam's jaw tightened slightly. "That's not the same."
Kate's expression didn't change. "It is to me."
Sam exhaled slowly, glancing away for a second before looking back at her. "Kate…"
Kate leaned back slightly in her seat, still watching her. "Omertà, dear sister."
Sam didn't answer.
And neither of them spoke again.