AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Asher
I understood where Brodie and Jackson were coming from. I didn’t expect this to be walk-in-the-park easy. I’d probably be having the same questions if our father hadn’t told me their names.
“I can agree to a paternity test if that would make you happy. But I know what the results will say. I don’t think it’s just some weird coincidence that my father would tell me I have two older brothers named Jackson and Brodie and that you were only a year or two older than me.”
“You didn’t say that before,” Jackson said. “You never said he told you our names. That makes a world of difference.”
Then I remembered the picture of my dad and me that I’d stuck in my wallet and reached into my back pocket to pull out the billfold. I fingered the photo and slipped it free. “I also have this.” I handed it to Jackson and he studied it, smiled at me, then handed it to Brodie.
“That is most definitely Dad,” Jackson confirmed, and I felt the weight of an elephant slip from my shoulders.
“He talked about you a lot to my mom. He even told her you lived here in Turtle Lake. I’m sorry that he wasn’t the man you always thought he was. But I’m not responsible for what he did, and neither are you.”
Both Jackson’s and Brodie’s eyes shot to mine at the same time.
“You’re right,” Jackson said. “We aren’t.”
“I’d still like to see some kind of DNA test results. Plus, how the hell could your mother and our father have been so irresponsible to have a kid knowing he was already married and had small children?”
Sniffles commenced beside me as Mel started crying.
“Mel?” I said.
Gabrielle stood and held out her hand to Brodie. “Come on. Let’s take a walk.”
“What? Fuck no. I don’t need a walk, I need some answers.”
“Brodie. Come with me, please, I would like to talk to you. In private.”
“Jesus Christ.” He got up and followed her.
“How could you say that, Brodie? You of all people should know that you should be more considerate about mistakes when it comes to love,” Gabrielle said as they left the room.
“Jackson, let’s give them some privacy,” Lena said, and she and Jackson got up.
“Privacy? Why do we need privacy? Mel?” I had trouble controlling the panic in my voice. What the hell was going on?
Melody sat there studying her hands as her fingers intertwined nervously in her lap. “I’m pregnant,” she whispered.
“What?”
“I’m pregnant.” She reached behind her and pulled out a white plastic stick that looked similar to a thermometer. I instantly knew what it was. She handed it to me. “It has a plus sign. That means I’m pregnant.”
This fucking day was just not getting any easier. “I’ll kill Alex,” I said, barely audible and through very clenched teeth. But she heard me.
“What?”
I stood up and took a couple of steps away. “I said I’m going to kill that fucking asshole, Alex.”
Her eyes grew wide and she started sobbing. “God, Mel, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so crass. I’m sorry he did this to you. But you know I hate him, I have since high school. You’re not the first one he’s done this to, you know.”
She stopped crying a stared at me.
“You remember. Shannon Bright? He got her pregnant in eleventh grade. She had to drop out of school. When Shannon told Alex that she was pregnant, he shrugged her off and accused her of sleeping with other guys. He laughed at her and told her tough fucking luck, he said it couldn’t possibly be his. She was going to have an abortion. We were friends, and she begged me to go with her for support. I reluctantly agreed, but she changed her mind anyway, the day before when her mom found out. Her mom was actually cool about it after a few hours of tears, and agreed to help Shannon with the baby. But my point is, now he’s done it again. To you.Mybest friend. I’m going to kill his sorry dick-faced ass.”
Mel wiped her tears with the back of her hand and stood up. “Asher. You’re an imbecile.” And then she walked out of the house, leaving me standing in the living room by myself.
