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“Even knowing it ended in complete disaster?”
“I’m not saying you’re entirely free from blame. But neither is Lachlan. You both said and did some things I’m sure you wish you hadn’t. But hindsight’s twenty-twenty. The present isn’t. You made what you thought to be the right decision. Thought visiting Nick could be helpful. But if you look at things from Lachlan’s perspective, I understand why he felt like he’d been pushed to his limit. He wakes up to you in the throes of a nightmare where Nick’s raping and suffocating you. Knows he has a long record of manipulation, so this could very well just be another game.”
“And it was.”
Naomi held up a hand. “Not to mention you’ve been together for over two months now and haven’t exactly made any strides toward actually being in a real relationship. The only time you agree to see him is if he comes over to your house or you go over to his.” She shook her head. “I warned you a few months ago. That’s not quite the best way to be in a relationship.”
I closed my eyes, nodding. “I know.”
“Then, to make matters worse, he hears you don’t think you’ll ever be able to open your heart to him, and mere days after he confessed he loved you.” She pushed out a disbelieving laugh. “That must have stung. Must have been like someone reached into his chest, yanked out his heart, and presented it to him while it was still beating. And, as we know from experience, when Lachlan’s hurt, he lashes out.”
“That we do.”
“So, while I don’t necessarily condone how he behaved and the things he said to you, I can sympathize with his frustration. The entire situation was a powder keg waiting to go off.”
“And Nick lit the match.”
“I’m afraid he did.”
“Hey, Mama?”
I sucked in a breath, darting my eyes toward the kitchen, watching as Imogene hesitantly crept toward us, a hint of concern in her expression.
“Everything okay, baby?” I asked, praying she hadn’t overheard our conversation. I’d tried to keep my voice low for that sole purpose.
She plastered on a smile. “I’m going to head over to Uncle Wes’. Help Eli with some of his footwork for soccer.”
“Do you want me to drive you?”
“It’s only two streets over. I’ll ride my bike.”
I paused, not liking the idea of her going out on her own, especially after today. But since we lived in a quiet, family-friendly development with barely any vehicular traffic, I’d allowed her to ride her bike over to her uncle’s for years. If I suddenly changed my mind, she’d know something was wrong.
“Text me the second you get there,” I told her, using my “mom” voice, as Lachlan called it, which only made my heart squeeze more.
“Of course.” She walked toward me, kissing my forehead. “Love you, Mama.” She lingered a few beats longer than normal, making me question if maybe she did pick up parts of our conversation.
Then she turned to Naomi, leaning down and giving her a hug. “See ya later, Auntie.”
“Love you, kiddo.” She kissed her cheek.
Once the front door closed, I faced Naomi again. “So what do I do? The things I said…” I pushed out a sigh. “Not sure those are easily forgotten.”
“True. But given the context, they might be better understood.”
I furrowed my brows. “What do you mean?”
“How much have you told Lachlan about Nick?”
I averted my gaze, taking a large sip of wine. “He knows enough.”
“Which tells me he probably only knows what he could find online and maybe a few additional details here and there.”
“I’m trying to put my past behind me,” I argued noncommittally.
“Listen to me, Jules.”
She grabbed the wine glass from me and set it on the coffee table. Then she took my hands in hers.
