Page 108 of All for Love

KODY

When we arrived back downstairs, my dad had just finished tipping and dismissing the household staff, and he was joining the others back in the family room. Kaden and Brooke were talking quietly near the tree, and Margaux was changing the Christmas music playlist.

I dragged in a deep breath. Mercedes had been sobbing before she’d opened that door. Her whole face was still puffy and her nose was still running. Saying that she’d been crying had been an understatement. It’d been worse than that and I knew it.

If this went badly, I was going to drown myself in a barrel of whiskey for putting her through it again. Maybe Kaden’s understanding had given me a sense of false hope or maybe it’d just made me stupid, but I suddenly felt like Mercedes and I actually stood a chance here.

With my brother’s support though, it felt entirely possible that the others would come around. That perhaps Mercedes and I could be together and that we’d arrive—still together—for the next holiday dinner. Wishful thinking, but damn. That would be amazing.

As we walked down the stairs hand in hand, the first person to notice us was my brother. He gave me an encouraging smile and a nod, which clued Brooke in to the fact that we were there. She spun to face us, her gaze immediately dropping to our joined hands.

As I watched, she inhaled deeply but nodded, reaching for Kaden’s hand and winding her fingers around his. She’d been a magnificent cow about all this, but it was good to know she was there for him. If their relationship was moving in the direction we all thought it was, it meant that she would be his wife someday in the not too distant future and that, in turn, meant that they had to have each other’s backs.

She and I had our stuff to sort out, but the fact that she was holding Kaden’s hand now was a good sign. The rest could wait. The room went silent once more when Margaux and my father noticed us as well, and while my father’s eyes went wide, Margaux’s face turned completely white.

“What are you doing?” she demanded quietly, her eyes narrowing to tiny slivers that made it impossible to tell their color.

“I thought we’d put a stop to this,” my dad stammered. He went to his wife’s side and slid his arm around her shoulders. “Really, Kody. This is completely unnecessary.”

Before I had the chance to defend myself, Kaden spoke up. “I think it’s time we sit down and talk about this like rational adults. That is what we are, right?”

He gave Brooke, Dad, and Margaux pointed looks before he nodded. “No more finger-pointing, judging, insulting, or ordering anyone around. Let’s just hear what they have to say.”

I thanked him with a nod. He motioned to me that I had the floor. I never let go of Mercedes’s hand, feeling how tense and nervous she still was. Since I hadn’t been expecting this tonight, I didn’t have anything prepared. Again.

I thought back to my conversation with Kaden as I met my dad’s apprehensive gaze. Honesty had sealed it with my brother. I just hoped the same approach would work with Dad and Margaux.

“First, we want to acknowledge that we know our actions have complicated things for everyone in this room, and that we know it’s made you all more than a little uncomfortable. For that, I’m sorry.”

I gave the words a few moments to sink in, tightening my grip on her hand when I felt a tremble pass through her. “What I’m not sorry for, however, is that I found my person. It may be unconventional, but you’re making it weirder than it needs to be. That’s on you guys, not on us.”

Margaux’s eyes narrowed so much, they might as well have been closed, but as she opened her mouth, I shook my head. “Just in case I need to reiterate this, Mercedes and I are not siblings. We’re not cousins. We don’t share so much as a drop of blood.”

Dad was stone-faced as he listened, but he didn’t interrupt. Margaux seemed to be trying to formulate an argument, but she must not have thought of one yet because she didn’t say anything either. Kaden was standing just slightly behind me, with his arms now crossed over his chest like he was my bodyguard while Brooke just hung back and watched him.

Since this was the first time no one was shouting, shaking, or crying when this came up, I felt hope surging through me. Grabbing onto it, I used it and the touch of her hand in their presence to fuel me, feeling more and more confident with every passing second.

“If you’d gotten married when we were kids and we’d grown up together as siblings, maybe I would’ve understood where everyone was coming from, but that’s not what happened. We only met this year and we don’t have any history, but we do have a future.”

Margaux gasped like she was affronted I’d suggested such a thing, and I saw Dad tighten his grip on her but neither of them said a word. Realizing that it was only a matter of time before they interrupted, I spoke a bit faster.

“Ultimately, we want to be together, and right here, right now, I’m telling you that I’m choosing her.” Once again, I gave the words a moment to sink in. “If that means that she and I are no longer considered part of the family, then it would suck but it would still hurt less than this charade we’ve been trying to keep up for your sakes.”

I felt her tremble again, but I also felt her taking a step closer to me. She adjusted her grip on my hand to press her palm flat against mine, and I took that as her agreement with what I’d just said. Relief churned through me.

At least I’d have her. Mercedes and Kaden. That was enough for me. It wasn’t ideal, but it was enough.

“We also realize that you might want to take some time to think about it, but I’m giving everyone in this room a chance to either get on board or bow out.” I met my dad’s eyes. “I really hope that you can get over it and we can move forward together, but if we can’t, that’s your choice to make. I won’t have the love of my life ripped away from me when I truly don’t believe there’s anything wrong or weird about what we’re doing. I won’t live the rest of my life with what-ifs and if-onlys just to avoid having the conversation we’re having right now.”

Mercedes inhaled sharply, but then she moved into my side and nodded. “I’m with him. No matter how much I wish things didn’t have to be so strained or how much I wish you didn’t all hate us for it, the truth is that I’ve never felt the way I do about Kody and I’ve never been as miserable as I’ve been without him. I can’t live that way for the rest of my life either and what’s more is that I won’t.”

My heart instantly quadrupled in size. She really was in this with me, and there was no better feeling in the world. At the same time, I hated the uncertainty in my dad’s eyes. Clearly, there were more issues we needed to address.

I cleared my throat. “We know it won’t be smooth sailing. Realistically, some people who will find out that we’re together will have the same prejudices as you. If and when that happens, we’ll deal with it, regardless of whether it’s a client of ours or if it’s a friend or an acquaintance. But honestly, I can live without anyone who wants to stand in our way. If they refuse to see that I love her and that there’s nothing taboo about it, then that’s just their problem.”

Kaden spoke up too. “Well, I’m on board. I’ll admit that it took me some time to get my head wrapped around it, but I’ve realized that they really do love each other. They’re also not related at all, so that argument doesn’t really hold any water. We’re the only thing standing in their way, and I’m choosing to get out of it.”

“So am I,” Brooke said once he was done. She came up to Mercedes’s side and looked at her. “I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting. I really didn’t think he was serious about you and I honestly believed he was going to hurt you. He still might, but that’s between you guys.”