Choosing Truth

Leo shifted his feet back slightly toward the tar surface. "What detail?"

"Your sister spends the rest of her life carrying the blame for you dying on the flagstones," Jude said, his voice carrying clearly up the brickwork. "She'll carry it every time she plays her instrument, until she can't take it anymore and comes up to this exact roof. Is that the outcome you wanted when you climbed the stairs?"

Leo went rigid against the brick parapet.

In his rush to remove the financial pressure, he hadn't thought past clearing the medical bill...

By the stairwell, Sophie stood with her hands over her mouth, tears running down her cheeks.

She realized what Jude was doing... using blunt logic to break the boy's tunnel vision and force him to look at the consequences.

"Answer the question, Leo," Jude called up. "Is that what you want for her?"