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Mom places her fork and knife down. “Gregor, if she didn’t want to forgive you, she wouldn’t be here. Trust is a fragile thing. When it’s lost, it’s a hell of a long road back to building it again.”
“I annihilated ours.”
“Yes, that you did. Stay the course, son. You’ll find your way back. I don’t believe all is lost.”
I blow out a breath and pull a hand down my face. My thoughts race. I lift my hand to order another drink.
“And, Brodi?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Not to rush you, but you will need to fix this before you go home and your father finds out about her. He’ll see right through all of this.” She sighs. “I told him to leave you boys alone. I hope Clay isn’t playing the same game you are. I want more grandchildren and daughters-in-law. I do believe Sidney is stalling on buying her wedding gown because you boys have concocted a way to lock horns with your father.”
I look at my mother and give her a mischievous smile. She snorts and gives me a pointed look.
“You do know he always wins. You boys will learn one of these days.” She eyes me as she laughs.
Somehow, I believe her. The old bastard is going to figure out a way to beat us all in this. I shake my head and grind my teeth.
Was it all for nothing?
* * *
Chloe
“Hey, your buddy bail on you?” Ethan says as I walk into the kitchen.
He sits with his phone and a bowl of cereal. I’m so used to him standing silently, I’m surprised by his words. I give him a warm smile as I pour a glass of water.
I take him in and note that while very handsome, he’s not my type. My type has and will always be strawberry-blond hair, gray eyes, and six-four.
“Yeah, she fell asleep on me. Didn’t even make the end of Frozen,” I reply with a laugh.
He chuckles. “She’s a sweet kid.”
“That she is.”
He stares at me for a moment. I feel like he’s looking through me. It’s as if he wants to say something more but isn’t sure he should. I go to take the seat next to him at the kitchen island.
“He’s trying, you know?” he finally says.
“I get that. I want to open up, but it’s hard. I’ve forgiven him once before and he left me again.”
He nods. “I was the one who told him about your age the first time around. I felt like shit after. He was totally destroyed, but I had to protect him. Things could have turned out so much worse.
“I’ve always had his back.” He takes a pause and swallows hard. I feel an exception in there somewhere.
“Except?”
“Addison,” he says.
“Chloe’s mother?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t there that night. You mean so much to him. He never wanted kids with anyone but you. He was so sure she was lying. I thought so too. Now, I… no one knows what to believe.
“My sister died. He let me go home. I failed him. Now seeing how much you two are hurting, I wish I had waited at least until someone I trusted could step in for me.”
“This isn’t your fault. Brodi is a grown man. He made his choices.”
