"Caelee..." Trace started and then stopped, trying to find the right words to make her see. He'd never wished more than he did right then that he had his brother's skills with words. Either one of them would be able to express themselves better than he was right then.
He took in a deep breath and started over. "Caelee, I knew she was driving. I should have told her to just pick up whatever she wanted. But I didn't," he said quietly but firmly. He didn't want to fight with Caelee, he didn't but he needed her to understand.
Her statement about Sandra not wanting him to blame himself struck a nerve because he knew she was right. That was something they'd run up against in the past with him blaming himself for things that weren't really his fault but because he'd been involved on the fringes even he felt responsible. "I know she wouldn't. But I can't stop thinking about what I could have said instead. And wishing that I'd said any of them." He felt angry, but it was turned in towards himself not towards Sandra or the driver that had hit her. He hadn't seen her in time to stop and Sandra's parents had told him the tire marks showed he'd tried. He guessed they'd thought that would help him deal with this but it hadn't.