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“Of course. Go get her and talk to her. Come clean.Completely.”
“I intend to,” he said.
He must have looked a fright when he came in because Brad made some wisecrack about Owen giving him the pound of flesh talk, and Jaxon could only smile weakly as he met Teagan’s gaze and tilted his head back to the bedroom.
“Now?” she mouthed.
He nodded slightly, and she stood.
She looked relieved the minute they were alone, throwing her arms around him as soon as the door swung closed.
“God, he was waiting outside Barclay’s for me, Jaxon…” She rested her head on his shoulder and he supported all her weight as she embraced him. “And he has those photos. Those wretched things that I took for Joshua and then he… and now Eric... then I… God, what if he had… if Brittany hadn’t…”
“What happened?” he asked, leaning back to rest his forehead against hers. His hands smoothed down her arms to clasp hers. He rubbed soothing patterns over the backs of her hands. Anything to delay the inevitable.
“I smacked his mobile out of his hand. And he started to grab me…”
“You’re not hurt, are you?” Jaxon asked, bringing her hands up so he could see both arms to inspect them. If that little worm had hurt her…
“I’m fine, Jaxon. Fine. Britt intervened. Actually I-”
He couldn’t stand not telling her any longer. She wasn’t hurt. He had to tell her everything. “He gave me an ultimatum, love.”
“A what? What kind of ultimatum?” she asked. Her eyes were so blue it almost hurt to look at them. She was frowning. Worried.
“Either he releases your pictures, or….” he took a deep breath because it was like ripping off a painful plaster.
“Or?”
“Or he releases information I leaked to him years ago about your father.”
The silence following his admission was deafening. He could almost hear the muscles working in her face as she frowned. “What information?” she asked.
“That Dave’s his illegitimate son…”
She laughed. “He’s not. He’s our Aunt Lily’s boy.”
“I know that now, but I didn’t at the time. I just… stole the information and sent it to Eric so he’d like me and let me into his inner circle. It was selfish and stupid of me. I wanted to hurt the one man who was the only father I ever knew, and I know this had the potential to hurt you and Brad and everyone, and I just… I fucking did it anyway and I’m so sorry, Teagan. I’m so sorry. I was so stupid and-”
Her hand appeared on his cheek, her thumb wiping away a tear that he didn’t know was there. She applied pressure to his jaw, tilting his head so she could see his eyes. “Look at me, Jaxon.”
“Teagan, I’m sorry. I apologized to your father and I know I owe an apology to Dave and to Brad and to-”
“Jaxon…”
He sniffed and pressed his hand to hers on his jaw. “I’m so sorry.”
“Jaxon… look at me.” She repeated. He already was, but he supposed she wanted something deeper. So, he sought out her eyes, no matter how painful it was, he looked at her through the tears gathering in his own. “Do you remember when I told you I’d never judge you for your past?”
“God, Teagan, this isn’t like that, this is…”
“Something stupid you did when you were young? And high? Or coming down from being high? Something you’d never imagine doing now?”
“Of course I wouldn’t do it now. But you can’t possibly forgive me,” he said. “Not when-”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Jaxon Lawson.” She leaned up to kiss his cheek, right where a tear fell. “I’ll forgive you if it pleases me. And it does.”
“I don’t deserve-”
