AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My parents visibly relax. I hook my arm through Simone’s and pull her into headquarters before they ask any more triggering questions, leading her upstairs to mine and Maceo’s suite.
When I go to close the door, Maceo and Chase are both standing there, like they’re going to follow us right in the room. I understand why Maceo would follow me, but Chase…
He’s looking at Simone the way Maceo looked at me the first time out on the trail. I have nothing against Chase—he’s a great guy, charming and intelligent—but my sister is days out of a very messy relationship and is in no position to be swept into another.
I raise my hand to both men. “I need to talk to my sister—alone.”
Maceo’s dark brows pull together, concerned. “Pixie…” Maceo can’t stand to be out of the loop or away from me.
I place my hands on his chest to calm him. “This is girl talk time. Plus, she won’t reveal anything to me if you’re in the room—she doesn’t know you,” I explain.
Maceo frowns but he nods. I stand on my tippy-toes and he bends, allowing me to kiss his full lips. “Okay, I’ll give you girls alone time.”
“Thank you, future hubby,” I purr, making him smile.
I look over at Chase. “Thank you for your help with my sister. Maybe you and Maceo could empty her vehicle, and move her into one of the free rooms?”
Chase looks longingly after my sister before giving me a sincere smile. “Of course.”
The two men turn to walk back into the hall. With them gone, I close the door and join my sister on the couch. Simone has kicked off her heels and has her feet tucked underneath her, nestled into the corner. She looks out of sorts, like it’s only hitting her now how her actions are going to make for some drastic changes in life.
There’s no one who understands better than myself what she’s feeling. The scariest thing about starting over is taking the first step, and it’s more terrifying when you’re making the journey by yourself. I need to extend an olive branch and help her get through this. My sister will know she not alone—I’ll hold her hand every step of the way.
I clear my throat. “I’m not going to ask you to explain anything to me—it’s none of my business. I heard enough outside to know what’s what. I only want you to know that I’m here if you want to talk. I support you,” I say softly. I slide my hand across the couch, palm up.
My sister sniffles and places her hand in mine. We sit in comfortable silence for several minutes before Simone swallows. “Cynthia, my boss, was purposely cramming my travel schedule for months, giving her the opportunity to sleep with my boyfriend while I was away. They’ve been fucking behind my back the entire time we were together.”
“What a douche,” I mutter but say no more. This is Simone’s time to talk and let it all out.
“Yeah, exactly,” she murmurs before breaking into tears. “How could he do this to me? I loved him, or at least I thought I did. He never gave me the impression he was fooling around. I’d come home from traveling for work and he was all lovey-dovey—our relationship seemed perfect. I feel stupid for being duped.”
I wrap my arms around my sister. She leans into my embrace, her body wracked with sobs. I say nothing and rock us—if there’s anything I’ve learned after Jacob, it’s that words can’t always fix things. Sometimes being there for someone is more meaningful than all the words in the world.
Simone lifts her eyes to mine. “What if Cynthia isn’t the only one he’s been sleeping with? How many other women has he sunk his dick into?My God, what if he gave me a disease?”
“Let’s not rush ahead of ourselves. I’ve got a great gynecologist. We can go today and have you tested, rule it out, and put your mind at rest.”
“You’ll go with me?” she asks, a tremble in her voice.
I nod. “If you want me there, of course.” She’s scared and needs support. Why wouldn’t I volunteer?
Simone swipes at her tears. “I had nowhere to go, Jo. I could have stayed at mom’s and dad’s place, but I didn’t want to be alone—not now. I wanted to be somewhere where I felt safe to mourn and not have to worry about everything else.”
“You wanted to be with people who care about you,” I state, totally understanding. I did the same thing when I left Jacob—I went to my parents.
Simone nods. “I put in my two weeks, packed my shit, got in the car, and started driving. I didn’t know where I was going at first until I saw I was on I-80 heading east and knew I had to come here.”
“You did the right thing,” I say. “You’re going to stay here until you figure out where it is you want to go. We have the room. You’ll have your own space to retreat to when company becomes too much. Maceo and Chase are moving your things into one of the open suites as we speak. Stop worrying about where to go—you’re right where you need to be. Fuck, stay forever.”
Simone worries her bottom lip. “Jo…I’m sorry. I was horrible to you…I don’t deserve you. I want you to know I never had a problem with you leaving Jacob. The shit he pulled deserved a kick to the curb. What I said out in the yard about quitting your job the way you did…well, after going through a breakup with a coworker, I understand. It was torture finishing my two weeks.”
“Is that why you were pissed when you found out mom and dad were moving? Because you were going through all of this?”
Simone nods and puckers her lips. “Yeah. I understood why they were coming out here, but it was the day after I caught Trent. Emotions were already high.”
I nod. Her reaction makes complete sense to me now.
“I really am sorry, Jo.”
