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“What the fuck is real-estalking?” Tuck asks.
Jen rolls her eyes. “You know what real-estalking is. And I like his sense of humor. How hard he works. But I think the thing I love most about Abel is how unapologetically true to himself he is.”
My heart turns over at Jenny going to bat so ardently for me. It all rolls off her tongue so easily. The things in common. The things she likes about me.
Makes me wonder if I’m as fucked up as I’ve always thought. Or is “fucked up” just my default because it’s so familiar?
Also makes me wonder if Jen really has been in love with me too. Her reasons for being with me came as easily as my reasons came for being with her. Does that mean something? Or does she just think fast on her feet in moments of crisis? I can’t remember ever being with her when emotions were running so high.
“Abel hasn’t been true to me. Or to Dad.” Tuck turns to Joe. “He should’ve asked for your blessing.”
“He’s right,” I say. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Tuck barrels forward. “None of this should’ve been rushed. I don’t get why?—”
“I imagine they rushed it because I have cancer.”
Silence. I watch the expression in Tuck’s gaze morph from read-hot rage to confusion as he stares at his father.
“You have cancer? My God.” He glances at me and Jen. “Y’all knew?”
“He didn’t want to tell you until after the baby got here.” Jen’s chin trembles. “He just told us last week.”
“It’s why I went into pushy matchmaker mode,” Joe explains. “Time is of the essence.”
Tuck looks at Joe. Looks at me. He blinks, eyes going glassy. Then he walks over to his dad and pulls him in for a hug.
“Jesus Christ, Dad.” He holds him for a long beat. “JesusChrist. I’m sorry. You could’ve told me. I need to know these things. Jesus!”
Joe releases his son from the hug and gives him a broad sketch of the situation. “It was my call not to tell you.”
Tuck shakes his head. “I don’t know what to say. Y’all kept these two huge things from me, and I...”
“I’m sorry.” Aw, shit, Jen is crying. “We did what we thought was right. We wanted you and Maren to have this time to be excited. Happy. Every parent deserves that when their baby arrives. I feel like you were kind of robbed of it with Katie, and it was important to me—to all of us—that you were able to celebrate and be in the magic of it this time around.”
Tuck runs a hand over his face. “Were you ever going to tell me at all?”
“Of course I was!” Joe scoffs. “Listen to your sister. I thought what I was doing was right. I would’ve told you in the next day or two if, well. This hadn’t happened.”
Tuck sniffles. “How did you know I was over here?”
“Easy. Maren called me. Said she didn’t want to raise your girls alone should you go to jail for homicide.”
“Ha,” I say weakly.
Tuck closes his eyes. He’s crying.
I’m crying.
Jen releases my hand and walks over to Tuck. She goes up on her toes to bury her face in his shoulder. “I’m really sorry, Tuck. We all are.”
He wraps his arms around her and pulls her against him. Seeing them together like this makes my throat tight. I hate that they’re having to deal with this all at once. If I could fix it—fix everything—I would. I’d sell my soul to avoid this moment. To move the clock back to a time when we were all young, clueless. Healthy.
I run my fingertips over the low throb in my jaw.
“Are you okay?” Tuck asks his sister quietly. “I can’t believe—Jesus, you’ve been dealing with this all on your own.”
“Abel’s been excellent support.”
