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“What you could do to me?” she asked slowly, her head listing and her eyebrows drawing close in confusion. She wiped at the falling tears again as she looked at her brothers before studying me. “I don’t understand...what do they know?”
I already knew what I had to do. I’d come to terms with it on the drive up here.
Didn’t make it any easier to take that first step off the cliff.
Glancing at the twins from over my shoulder, I lifted my hands helplessly and let them fall when I faced Maci.
“I was abused as a child,” I said, the words rushing from me as if even my throat and lungs understood I’d needed that push to begin. “That’s why I’m so protective of Amy. She was older, so she always took the beatings meant for me until I was old enough to understand what was happening. Then I made sure she took as little of them as possible. The guy wasn’t even our biological father, but it was our mom’s husband, and he raised us.”
I nodded as memories and nightmares flashed, mixing and colliding faster than I could force them away.
“He almost killed us one night,” I confessed softly. “That’s how we met our parents. Our dad was one of the detectives on scene, and he and our mom fought to adopt both Amy and me.”
I wasn’t sure if the room had gone silent or if that was the weight of my fears pressing against me as I looked at where Maci stood. Staring at me with wide, devastated eyes. Lips parted in horror, head shaking as if she was in denial.
“Because of that man, Amy’s terrified of all men—she struggles just being near them. She only trusted Dad and me until she met her husband in college. And I have my own demons from that time in my life. I’m...shit, Maci, I’m terrified of turning into him,” I admitted hoarsely. “I’m afraid to get angry because I have nightmares that feel so damn real of being him and hurting my future family—of hurting you. And that’s why your brothers don’t want us to be together.”
Maci’s gaze slowly shifted their way as I continued. “I had no idea your brothers even knew about any of this until I confronted them about us. But I apparently got wasted one night and told them everything. Told them I’d ruin and destroy my future family.”
“Connor,” Maci whispered as her eyes snapped back to me, emotion fueling my name. “I—I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I said firmly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner and for what I did. But that’s everything I’ve been keeping from you, and that’s why I left you. I thought I was protecting you.”
Closing the distance between us, I cradled her face in my hands and felt like I took my first real breath in days when she leaned her head against my palm. “I know I’ve upset you and probably will countless more times throughout our lives, but know that I will never hurt you.”
Understanding flared within her shock and sorrow, and then my name was leaving her on a breath.
“I can’t lose you.” Pressing my forehead to hers, I spoke soft enough that only she could hear me. “You were wrong the other night. You own me. Don’t you fucking get that?”
A shaky laugh left her just before she crushed her mouth to mine, righting my world and making my heart beat fiercely as I pulled her closer.
“I love you, Maci,” I said against the kiss. “God, I’m so in love with you—fuck,” I wheezed and bent when she punched me in the stomach.
“That’s for listening to my brothers,” she said matter-of-factly before easily slipping into my arms again, a wry smile tugging at her mouth. “And I love you too.”
God damn.
Our next kiss could’ve burned the world down if someone hadn’t started pointedly clearing their throat seconds after it began.
I froze with Maci in my arms and opened my eyes to find gray mischief looking back at me. Gripping her closer for the briefest second, I released her and turned to face the rest of her family.
At least the women looked happy.
I couldn’t get a read on any of the men.
“Well,” Maci’s dad began as he took a quick look around at his family, “this has been an interesting vacation so far.”
“That’s it?” Dylan asked with a stunned huff. “Did you miss what he just admitted to?”
Mr. Price glanced at the twins as a sound of disapproval left him. “I did. Every man has fears that he won’t be a good enough husband or father. Connor’s are different because of a trauma you will never understand. The fact that you let his fears get in the way of a lifelong friendship, then used them against him so he would leave Maci, pisses me off about as much as it upsets me to see my little girl cry.”
He gestured to me before planting his hands on his hips when he added, “Connor just confessed to something he shouldn’t be ashamed of and stood up to each of you because he’s in love with your sister. The two of you could take a lesson because, frankly, I’m disappointed in the way you’ve treated him and Maci.”
Dakota and Dylan both stood there with matching expressions of guilt and indecision. Like they couldn’t figure out if they wanted to continue fighting their side or not. But their dad continued speaking before they could choose which way they wanted to go.
“I think we all need to go to bed and sleep on this because no one is level-headed enough to continue with this conversation...if we can even call it that. We’ll talk again tomorrow.” Mr. Price walked over to Maci and me, his hand outstretched for me to shake it. “I’m glad it’s you, Connor. Really, I am. But if I catch you sleeping with my daughter tonight, I’m likely to change my mind on that. I’ll be sure to check on your rooms often tonight.”
Gripping his hand firmly, I cracked a smile but looked him directly in the eye when I said, “Understood, sir.”
