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“I was,” he said. “But then coming back to real life, here, alone. My family had all gone back to their lives, I went back to work, and it was just a reminder of everything I’d lost. It’s like I don’t even think I have a family anymore. I’m just on my own. And I blame my father for that, of course.”
Her eyes deepened and she frowned, but she let me continue. I told her what had happened with Dad at the “intervention” that Aiden had tried to call for me. As I spoke of my father, her eyes got wide. “You saw him again?”
“Yes, and his girlfriend, and likely my half siblings for all I know.” I let out a dry laugh. I wanted to reach for the glass, but as if Harper had read my mind, she took both of my hands in hers to keep from reaching for anything but her.
“I’m sorry, Jackson. That had to be hard.”
“It was, but the worst part is he only came because Aiden had bribed him with details about who leaked the photos. He didn’t come because he cares about me,” I said with a shrug. “Which I already knew, but it still hurt to see it. Especially when he has a new family. I warned Meredith that he would fuck up her little boys too, and I think she believed me. Maybe I got through to her, I don’t know, but seeing those little boys… I had to protect them from the bullshit my brothers and I went through, siblings of mine or not.”
“You did the right thing.”
“I hope so. It felt good to let loose, to be honest.”
“I bet it did,” she said softly. She stroked my cheek and I leaned into her touch. “I hope that it helps you heal.”
Harper being there was helping me more than anything else had, but I didn’t tell her that. I didn’t want her to feel obligated to stay in South Carolina for my sake. I hoped she would, and I hoped this was the start of a life together, but I wanted her to want it from the bottom of her heart, not feel obligated to be in my life to help keep me sober. I knew that was something I had to work on myself, it was my own battle, and I couldn’t put that all on her.
I leaned down to kiss her but she placed her fingertips on my lips.
“Before we move any further, I really need to talk to everyone.”
She was still frowning, and there was a look in her eyes that told me whatever she needed to tell us, it was serious.
38
Aiden
Family meeting. Mom’s house in an hour?
Jackson’s message didn’t say much more than that. It sounded urgent. He hadn’t really been in a talking mood since the fallout with Dad a few days before, so I was relieved to hear him calling us together. I hoped that maybe it would be to tell us he was seeking help.
Before leaving, I opened a letter that had been delivered earlier in the day. It was a settlement agreement on the slander case I had filed against the former client who had tried to smear my name. It indicated that another copy had been delivered to Jackson.
I read through the letter which stated the defendant was willing to recant his statements about me and offered $500,000 in damages.
I couldn’t believe it. Jackson had come through after all. I stared at it in stunned silence. What had Jackson done to bring about such a swift turnaround?
I called him and he quickly answered. “Hey, I’m on my way to Mom’s… are you still going to be there?”
“I am. I was on my way when I opened a letter from Bertram Johnson—”
“Ah, right, yes, I saw an e-mail from him before I left. I need to look it over more, but I think it sounds like a pretty good deal. I’d be eager to hear your thoughts, as well.”
“But how?” I asked.
Jackson let out a laugh. “Good lawyering, that’s how.”
“I mean, I never doubted your skills as a lawyer, but this, this is amazing. I’d love to hear how you did it.”
“We can talk later; we have some other things to talk about first. But long story short, I asked for a lot of proof, documents and details that they couldn’t provide. I knew that they wouldn’t be able to provide those to the court because I know you, Aiden, and well, it looks like my plan worked. They knew that they wouldn’t be able to go up against us in court, they didn’t have a leg to stand on.”
“Thank you,” I said, my voice nearly a whisper. Jackson had finally trusted that I was innocent. That meant more than almost anything else he had said.
“See you soon?” he asked.
“Of course. I’m heading over there now.”
We got off the phone and I left for my mom’s house. It was a short drive over to her place and when I arrived and walked into the formal living room, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
