AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh,” I said softly.
I leaned back in the chair, as if I could melt into it and disappear. I didn’t know what to say. Sorry wasn’t nearly enough for the trouble I had caused all those years ago. Not that they were aware of it, or else I doubt I’d be welcome there at the table.
I stared at my hands. “I might go to bed now.”
“Before dessert and coffee?” Rose seemed genuinely disturbed by the idea of me missing dessert.
“I’m sure it’s very lovely, but I’ve had too much to eat already. I don’t know if I could eat another bite–”
Before I could finish, however, Gerard placed a chocolate mousse in front of me.
I had never been the type of girl who could resist chocolate.
“Okay, maybe I’ll stay for dessert.”
“Good girl,” Rose said. “It’s nothing too heavy, since we had a big meal and all, just something light and sweet to end with.”
The mousse was exactly that. Delicate and light, with a rich, dark chocolate that delighted my tastebuds.
“Worth sticking around for, right?” Kat asked as she licked the last bit of mousse from her spoon.
“Definitely. Oh my God, this is amazing.”
“And next up, we have some coffee,” Rose said softly.
Jackson didn’t say a word, he continued staring over at the empty chair. His brothers seemed to have lost some of their luster, as well. I had a hard time keeping my eyes off of them, though it made me feel terrible to be sitting directly across from them knowing what I had done.
As the clock ticked on, my body grew heavier and tired. “I’m not sure if I’ll make it up the stairs if I stay another minute,” I said as I slipped from my seat. “I hope that’s OK.”
“It’s more than OK, dear,” Rose said. “You’ve had a long trip. Please get some rest and hopefully you can enjoy the local scenery tomorrow.”
“Thank you again, for everything.”
I had a hard time meeting Rose’s gaze then. Would she be better off not knowing? Her family might still be together, though it would have all been a lie. Unless, of course, she knew about the affairs and everything else, simply putting up with it until it went public. I wasn’t sure if I deserved her kindness or not.
I said goodnight to everyone as I headed toward the stairs, forcing my legs to walk. As I reached the top, I noticed that the hallway was dark. I staggered down the hall and grabbed what I thought was the doorknob for our room.
“Hold up,” a voice surprised me from behind. “Wrong room.”
“Jesus, Kat. Did you tippy-toe up the stairs? You almost gave me a heart attack.”
She chuckled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. But you almost entered Jackson’s room.”
“There’s so many doors.”
“Right? I almost do that every year we’re here, but thankfully, I never walked in on my brother naked or anything equally traumatizing.”
The idea of Jackson naked wasn’t traumatizing to me in the slightest. In fact, once I had the image in my head, I stood there in the hallway and forgot where I was for a moment.
“We’re right here, the room to the right of his,” she said, opening the door to our gorgeous space.
“Thank God,” I muttered as I collapsed into the bed. I groaned as I writhed against the comforter. “It’s so soft, it’s like sleeping on a cloud.”
It didn’t take long for my eyes to close and I fell asleep, clothes and all.
2
Jackson
