Page 63 of His Wicked Revenge

He and Walt were the only people I was close to in there. Is it weird that I don’t miss being locked away, but I miss them?

“Seeing as he was in for murder, I don’t think you’d be able to.”

Myles and Chloe’s eyes go wide. I look over at my dad and toss him a wink. He laughs with a shake of his head once he realizes we are only messing with them.

“You didn’t meet a guy in there, did you?” Chloe questions.

“I met a lot of men in there, but no, I didn’t fall in love with any of them.” I lean back on my hands. “Camille and the men I met in prison are off-topic for today. We are here for Mom.”

“Right.” Chloe nods. “Sorry. I just really like Camille. I think she could be good for you.”

I chew at the inside of my cheek, keeping my eyes on her. Part of me wishes I could tell Chloe who Camille really is. If I did, she would cut ties with her.

But then it would tear her apart. Thinking that she had this great friend, only to realize that her best friend was the one that stabbed me and left me for dead.

“Before we drop the subject of you two, you’re walking down the aisle with her at the wedding.” She speaks rapidly, shooting me a smile. “Okay! Conversation over! Today is a day for Mom.”

“She’s your Maid of Honor?” There is no way that is true. Chloe has other friends who could take that role. “Did she put you up to this?”

Chloe’s head whips in my direction. “What? No. It was my decision. Now, we are dropping the conversation.”

Rolling my jaw, I stare at Chloe. I want so badly to say something back to her. Walking down the aisle with Veronica is not a good idea. What is also not a good idea is the fact that she is even at the wedding, but now she is the fucking Maid of Honor?

What was Chloe thinking? They’ve only been friends for some months, and Chloe is okay with having her be there for her special day.

When I look at Myles, the expression on his face reveals that he was unaware of Chloe's decision.

I open my mouth, but before speaking, Carter suggests, “Why don’t we go around and say something nice about Grandma?”

All of our eyes go to him. My father asks, “Like a memory?”

“Yeah,” Carter shrugs.

“That’s a great idea, honey.” Chloe kisses the top of his head. “Who wants to start?”

CHAPTER 27

Leo

Myles decided he wanted to go first. I think he was being kind because he knew it would be hard for all of us to take the trip down memory lane.

“I remember the first time I met Jen.” He swallows hard, taking a moment to gather his emotions before continuing. “It was for Thanksgiving during our freshman year of college. I didn’t want to go home because I knew my parents wouldn’t even celebrate. If they were, it would be with a bottle and some pills. They wouldn’t even have known I was there anyway.”

My heart aches in my chest. Myles's home life had always been shitty ever since he was little. There were times that he would wake up in the middle of the night, sweating from the nightmares he had about his father.

Once he realized that he was in his dorm room and not his bedroom at home, it was easy to calm him down.

“Even though Leo and I had just met, he offered me to come home with him. At first, I thought it was only out of pity, but when I met your family and got to know all of you throughout the years, I knew it wasn’t because you felt bad for me. Well, it was, but you wanted to ensure I wasn’t alone for the holidays.” He gives a weak smile. “Jen went above and beyond to make me feel welcome in your family. She told me I should let her know what I needed, and she’d help me.”

“Your mother showed me more love in one night than my own mother did my entire life.” A tear falls from his eyes, and he lifts a hand to wipe it away. “I’ll never forget her warmth and love that night. And every time I spent with her since then.”

Chloe is a mess beside him, her hand rubbing his back to comfort him. Tears prick my eyes as I remember bringing Myles home for the first time. He was a nervous wreck, wondering if my family would like him. He wasn’t used to the love my family had to offer, but he fit right in.

Dad clears his throat, and when I look at him, I can see the tears glistening in his eyes. “We’ve always loved you like a son, Myles. From the moment we met you.”

Myles dips his head, swallowing the lump in his throat. He doesn’t say anything else, so my father takes the silence as an invitation to speak.

“I could say that our wedding day was my best memory, and it’d be the truth, but I think my favorite memory of your mother was the days she had both of you.” His eyes move from me to Chloe. “Jen had always been maternal and couldn’t wait to be a mother, but… it took a while for her to get pregnant with you, Leo. A few years of getting our hopes up only to have them ripped away from us when we kept seeing that one line on the test.”