Page 85 of View With Your Heart

Fuck. Such a busybody small town, but then I want to chuckle as the information-spreading is coming from kids.

“So what?” I ask, feeling all eyes on me. Tom stands back by Jess and Emily while Karyn is near the table like me.

“So, you’re fucking with her,” Karyn states, eyes spearing me. The distraction in them is they look just like Mum’s, but Mum would never be so direct.

What are you doing, lovie? Mum would say in her accent with all the concern of being Mum.

“I’m not fucking her,” I snap, staring back at my sister, shocked at the directness of her words.

“Fucking with,” Tom clarifies, pointing out I missed a word. I narrow my eyes at him. “There’s a difference.”

“Semantics,” I bark, waving out my arms. “But I’m not doing it, and I don’t see why it would be anyone’s business, if I were. We’re adults.”

“But there’s a kid involved,” Jess adds, his voice low and equally concerned.

“Yeah, my kid,” I yell.

“What?” Jess asks, standing straighter near Emily.

“You didn’t hear? Gee is my son. His name is fucking Gavin Scott.”

“Holy shit,” Jess mutters, staring at me. “When did you find out?”

“At your wedding. It’s the drama you heard about.”

Jess continues to watch me, his jaw clenching as he processes what I’ve said, and I’m reminded he reached out with his concern for me. I didn’t respond to him other than to tell him to enjoy his honeymoon, and we’d talk when he returned.

“But this is good,” Ethan says, clapping my shoulder and jiggling me, and I’d forgotten he was standing near the entrance to the kitchen.

“It sounds wonderful,” Emily says, mirroring my sentiment from the other day.

“And Gavin’s moving here,” Ethan announces.

“I’m not moving here.” I turn on him, glaring at him as I recall the fight we had outside the hospital. My voice has risen as all eyes are on me. “There’s nothing here for me.”

The room goes eerily silent from my outburst, but the soft click of the front door sounds like a gunshot went off. I turn in the direction of the front of the house.

“What was that?” I snap, turning back to the quiet room full of stunned faces.

“The nothing you claim isn’t here for you,” Karyn states, narrowing her eyes at me, and even without Mum’s presence, I feel her disappointment.

Fuck.

+ + +

When I get to Britton’s, I’m ready to hammer down the door. I’m rattling the sliding door to her room, but she’s not answering it. Giving up on the sneaking in, I round the house and knock on the front door. Theo opens it, yanking it wide as though I’m disturbing him.

“Where’s Britton?”

“Not here,” her seventeen-year-old nephew defends, holding the edge of the door so I can’t see inside. His stance clearly states I’m not welcome.

“Her car’s here,” I bark.

“But she’s not.” He stands taller with his thin, teen frame, but giving off the air of a linebacker. He’s ready to protect this home from me.

Swiping both hands in my hair, I gaze down at my feet, then glance back up at Theo.

“Look, help me out. Where is she?” Theo shakes his head. Physically, I could take him if I needed to, but mentally, he’s locked up. He isn’t going to tell me anything.