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Kallie agrees with me and gives me a quick hug as I leave. The excitement of the shoot is overshadowed by worry now. Braden isn’t answering and that means shit went bad. The overwhelming urge to help him is bringing tears to my eyes. I can’t help if I don’t know where the hell he is.
When I pull up to the house, I almost jump out before putting the car in park. Braden’s truck is in the driveway. He must’ve wanted to surprise me.
I rush inside with a huge smile on my face. “Braden?” He walks in from outside and closes the door behind him. He looks devastated and my heart sinks. I rush over to him and when I try to wrap my arms around him, he steps back. “What happened?”
He never steps away from me. He always wants me closer. My stomach is churning as I wring my hands together. His eyes are red and it’s not from drinking, he’s been crying. A tear runs down my cheek as I look into his defeated eyes.
“McKinley why are you here?” he whispers.
My heart pounds in my chest and I wrap my arms around myself. “What?”
He snaps his head up to look at me, anger taking over his normally gentle features. “Why the fuck did you really come here? Was it to find family or was it to use my family?”
I can’t stop the tears as they run down my face. He knows and there’s no going back now.
“Answer me,” he yells.
“Braden,” I whisper, wiping my tears.
He moves a little closer and I can feel the anger rolling off of him. “The first night you got here I asked you why you were here. I asked what your agenda was. You told me it was to find family not to cause problems. You made me out to be the asshole for questioning you, but that was because I was right. You were here with an agenda, weren’t you?” he hisses.
I’m sick to my stomach watching the anger and pain I’ve caused the man I love. I search his rage-filled eyes as I choke back a sob. What can I say? He is right.
“Fuck,” he yells, turning and punching a hole in the wall.
I can’t find the words. I’m rooted in place. The pain he is feeling, the defeat is because of me.
The door slamming shut causes me to jump and when the silence hits me, I know it’s over. Everything I love, I destroyed. A cry, unlike anything I’ve ever heard before rips out of me as I bend at my waist.
I lost him.
Chapter 20
Braden
* * *
My hand is throbbing, and my knuckles are bleeding as I drive over to Jax’s. I won custody of the girls and brought them back with me. They are at my mom’s right now. I didn’t tell her anything. I simply said I needed help and as always, she helped no questions asked. She, of course, cried when she found out I won custody and was thrilled to have the girls.
I texted Kallie and told her I need to talk. She called several times, but I’m not doing this twice. I can only handle saying McKinley used us all one time. I can’t fucking believe I let her in and fell in love with her and it was all a lie. I was a steppingstone in her fucking career. The best connection, other than Blake, to get close to the top photographer there is.
I’ve done nothing but think of all the time we spend together, trying to see if I could now see the lie. I can’t. Everything I think back on seems so genuine. It makes this that much worse.
With Sarah, she was a bitch, and it was obvious something was going on. With McKinley, she was sweet and caring. She seemed to want me as badly as I wanted her. I’ll give her credit, she was convincing. It just makes it hurt that much more.
I pull up to Jax’s, gripping the steering wheel. “Fuck,” I hiss, feeling the pain in my hand.
The walk to the backyard is dreadful. Once I say all this out loud there is no way for me to pretend it isn’t happening. I’m crushed and I fucking hate that I need to go crush them too.
“Braden, what the hell is going on?” Kallie asks, wrapping her arms around me. I hiss when she hits my hand, and she quickly pulls away. When she sees the busted knuckles, her eyes snap up to mine. “Braden.”
“Let’s talk,” I say, walking toward the table.
Jax, Blake, and London are sitting there, and I try to control my emotions. Blake is going to be fucking crushed. He was so damn excited to have a sister to look out for.
“Here,” Jax says, handing me a beer.
I graciously accept it and sit down. They are all staring at me so I tip back the beer, hoping it will relax me. “I got custody of the girls,” I say.
