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“God, Katie, I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
“Then, we’re right back where we started. I know you’re angry with me and I should have been the one to tell you about Lennon. I know that. I feel guilty every single day about it, but damn it, Jake… I was scared. You barely looked at me when you came in. When you said anything to me at all, it was delivered by a stranger and not the boy I gave my heart to. I was dealing with so much that I just didn’t have the courage.”
“The Katie I loved was full of grit. She would have stood up to anyone and anything.”
“That Katie crumpled when you walked out and left me a note that cut out my heart. I was a complete mess after I read your letter, Jake. You may not like it, but if your brother hadn’t held me up back then, I’m not sure I would have made it. That’s why I have faith in what he tells me. That’s why I know he told you about Lennon. Besides, what reason would he have to lie about something like that? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Oh, gee. I don’t know. How about the fact that if he didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t come back and demand my rightful place in Lennon’s life or yours for that matter? Did you think of that, Katie? All Jeff has ever wanted is you. That’s it. This way he got both of you.”
“That’s not what happened. There’s no way Jeff would keep Lennon a secret from you after promising me he would confront you—absolutely no way.”
“What makes you so certain?”
“Because he knew there was no future in it. That’s why. The two of us had broken up. He wanted more than I could give him. I broke up with him and told him to find someone who couldlove him the way he needed. There was no future in him thinking it would keep me by his side.”
“And yet, you were the woman getting ready to marry him not so long ago, right? Ain’t that some funny shit right there.”
“Stop! We stayed apart for almost two years. You knew that.”
“I did. Then, suddenly he’s back and you two are as thick as thieves. What happened? You decided you couldn’t live without him after all? Or were you just waiting to see which brother would step up and do whatever you wanted this time?”
I see her draw her hand back, but I don’t try to stop her. Her hand slams against the side of my face, connecting and setting my skin on fire. I grab her by the wrist and yank her hand away.
“I wouldn’t try that again,” I warn.
“I hate you. It’s so easy for you to sit there and judge me. You don’t know me, Jake. Don’t pretend you do. I’m not the same person. I love your brother. I broke up with him so he could find someone whole, someone who didn’t have a piece of her heart ripped out and missing. Someone who didn’t have feelings for his brother that never seemed to go away. He wanted more. He wanted in my bed and here it was three years later, and I couldn’t give that to him. Is that what you want to hear, you bastard!” she screams.
“Now who is lying, Katie? Are you really trying to convince me you haven’t let my brother between your legs? Because there’s no way I’ll believe you, honey. I’m not that stupid.”
She wrenches her hand away from me and I let her go. Bitterness is burning inside of me. There’s so much that I don’t know what to do with it all.
“You’re such a bastard. I don’t owe you any information about my life with Jeff, but no, I didn’t sleep with him, not until we got back together. He was miserable and I was miserable, and I missed him. What we had was different than what mostcouples look for, but it was good and if you had stayed away, it would have lasted.”
“Wow it was so real that having me in the same place ruined everything? Doesn’t sound very solid to me, Katie.”
“You’re just that toxic, I guess,” she mutters, turning away. “If you’re going to be a father then go visit Lennon. He’s in with your mother because I’m taking Mom to the doctor. She was nice enough to volunteer to babysit since Lennon’s father couldn’t be found and school is closed for some type of training for the staff.”
She leaves and I let her. I’m too lost in my head to deal with her. She’s wrong, though. She thinks I’m going to just walk away. I’m not leaving. I’m not letting Jeff waltz back in and try to take my place. Lennon ismychild, and Katie?
Today sealed her fate.
Jeff isn’t getting the chance to slide back into Katie’s life. I don’t want him anywhere near Lennon or her. If that makes me an asshole—I never claimed not to be. If it means keeping my family away from my brother once and for all, I’ll do it. That’s a fact that I’d gladly tell him, but since he’s not answering his phone that will have to wait.
CHAPTER 21
Katie
“You okay, honey? You’ve been quiet all day?”
I sigh, relaxing my hands on the steering wheel. Until this moment, I didn’t realize I was kind of white knuckling it. “I had a run in with Jake,” I admit.
“I was wondering what was going on since he hadn’t called Lennon the last couple of nights.”
“I laid into him and told him he’s not allowed to pull his disappearing acts with Lennon. Then he decided to lay into me for sleeping with Jeff.”
“Of course, he did.”
“What’s that mean?” I mutter as I navigate to the exit that will take us to the interstate. Macon is a great town, but to get to Mom’s specialist you have to drive about an hour and a half into the city. It’s not something I enjoy because it takes all day. That means, I miss a lot of work. Still, it’s the best care we could find for her. Plus, she really likes her doctor. All that makes it worth it.
