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For the second time tonight, the door slammed. Ugly words had flown all over the place, and it was becoming difficult to figure out which ones were meant and which were just lashing out.
“It keeps getting worse,” Trish said softly.
“I should’ve gone after him.” I paced between the island and the row of cabinets.
“Andrew will make sure he’s okay.”
“Why did she say that to him? If there was ever a time to lie, that would have been it.”
“I don’t think she knows how to handle her emotions. Her immediate response is to attack.”
“Well, it’s a terrible way of dealing with stuff.” I braced my hands on the counter and dropped my chin to my chest. “I don’t know if he’ll get over it.”
“I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t.”
“How do I fix it?” I willed her to give me an answer I was desperate for.
“You can’t.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Holt
“Don’t say a word.”
The warning didn’t stop my brother from following me into the stairwell. I jogged down each flight on autopilot.
My worst fears were confirmed. I’d ruined my family’s life. She’d left because ofme.
“Will you slow down? I’m not as young as I used to be.”
I ignored my brother, who wasn’t even out of breath.
“Marlow . . . hell, I’m not even going to make excuses for her.”
I stopped on the landing and whipped around. “You don’t have to. She pretty much said it all.”
I’d nearly made it to the next step when his hand clamped down on my shoulder. “Ask me who I’d rather have in my life.”
I flinched, refusing to look at him.
“Ask Dad if he’d choose you orher.”
“I’m not getting into hypotheticals.”
“We’re not. If having a mother meant losing you, she wouldn’t be worth it.”
“Don’t lie to me,” I whispered.
“I wouldn’t dare.” He shook my shoulders.
“I drove you crazy when we were kids.”
“And I wouldn’t trade a single second of it for anything. Especially nother.” He pulled me in for a hug, but I shrugged him off.
“I messed up everything for Dad. If it weren’t for me, she would have stayed with him.”
“Do you really believe that? How are you so sure she’d not feeding Marlow lies? Because I'm not.Shewas cheating on him well before you came along.” Bitterness etched his face.
