Seth steps forward, putting himself slightly in front of her. Protective.
“Billy,” Seth says. His voice is steady. “Tex.”
“We heard you,” Tex says. He’s blunt. He doesn’t see the point in lying.
Sedona’s face turns a shade of red I didn’t know was possible. She stares at her boots.
“I…” she stammers. “We were just…”
“I want to talk to you,” I say, cutting her off. I look at Sedona. “In private.”
Seth bristles. “Whatever you have to say to her, you can say in front of me.”
“It’s okay, Seth,” Sedona whispers. She puts a hand on his arm.
“No,” I say. I sigh. I run a hand over my face. “Actually, I made coffee.”
They stare at me.
“There’s plenty,” I say. “Can we all just talk?”
I look at the three of them. My brothers. My ex. The woman I can’t get out of my blood.
“Because I really fucked up yesterday,” I say. “And I think I owe all of you an apology.”
The tension on the porch is thick enough to choke a horse.
We sit on the wooden benches. Sedona sits between Seth and Clara, who came out a moment ago. Tex and I sit opposite them.
I hold my coffee mug in both hands, the heat seeping into my palms.
“I owe you an apology, Clara,” I start.
Clara looks surprised. She’s holding an ice pack to her knuckles, which are still swollen from punching Joey.
“Me?”
“I should have stopped him,” I say. “Joey was out of line. He was drunk on his own anger. And I let him attack you. I let him push you.”
Clara shrugs. “I punched him first. I think we’re even.”
“No,” I say firmly. “He’s my brother. I’m responsible for him. I’m sorry.”
She nods slowly. “Okay. Apology accepted.”
I take a breath. I look at Sedona.
She’s staring at me. Her eyes are guarded.
“And I owe you the biggest one,” I say.
She waits.
“I froze,” I say. “I let him talk about you like trash. And I didn’t say a word.”
“You were in shock,” she says quietly.
“I was a coward,” I correct. “Again. Just like I was a coward five years ago. Just like I’ve been every day since you came back.”
