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“What was so urgent that you wanted to talk to me about?”
I inhale deeply. My sister can be a bit of a hothead and I don’t want to piss her off, but this needs to be said. “Tate is having an affair,” I tell her.
Anger clouds her pupils, and she balls up her fist but keeps them in her lap. “No, he isn’t.”
I place my hands on her shoulders, then stroke her back. “He is. And he’s not even going to work like he says he is. He goes to her house. I have pictures.” She puts her hands up to stop me but I ignore her, opening the folder. I slide out pictures of Tate holding hands with another woman. I flip to the next one of him kissing his mistress, and another one of them having lunch together. “It gets worse, he got fired a month ago for stealing money from the business—”
She shuts the folder and slams it on the table.
“Why were you spying on him? How did you even get these pictures?”
“I hired a PI to have him followed, I was trying to look out for you.”
She’s quiet for a few moments as tears fall. Guilt eats at me like a disease. I don’t know why I feel guilty, because I didn’t do anything wrong.
She stands up from the couch and rips the evidence up before tossing it into the fireplace. I watch as it quickly turns to ashes.
“This isn’t you looking out for me. You always stick your nose in shit that doesn’t belong to you.” She folds her arms across her chest. “I was happy, living in my own bubble, thinking my marriage is perfect, yet you burst that bubble.” She sighs. “No wonder Momma regrets having you.”
Her words dig into my chest and takes root and a lump forms in my throat. Sometimes when she’s angry, she says things below the belt. I try so hard to keep the tears at bay, but I can’t stop myself.
“I was just trying to help you.” My tone is low and raspy.
“No, you weren’t. You only did it because things aren’t going right in your life, so you look for ways to fix others. You have always been like that. It doesn’t matter, though, I’m not leaving him.”
She’s being unreasonable.
“Tate beats you, and he cheats on you, yet you don’t want to leave him?”
“I’m not going to risk my relationship with our family. And you might have left Link but Mother is still controlling you. You went ahead and married a complete stranger just so you can get in good graces with her. You’re a hypocrite.” She stabs a finger in my chest. “Stay the fuck out of my business, Poppy, or I will cut you out of my life.”
Tears trail down my cheeks. “You’re angry at the wrong person,” I snap. “I’m not the one who is hurting you, he is. I’m not the one who’s not making you feel safe, he is!”
She completely ignores what I say, storming off, and I hear the front door slam behind her.
I curl up on the couch as the tears continue to fall. I just want the best for her.
Jasper walks into the living room, his eyes lingering on the door before they land on me. He told me this would happen, and I didn’t listen to him. He sits next to me, yanking me into his arms, and I cry into his shirt.
“You were right. I should have minded my own business.”
He continues to stroke my hair. “That’s something I wish I was wrong about, Angel.”
“She’s right about me, I am a hypocrite. I did marry a complete stranger just to get in good graces with my mother. I’m begging my mother to love me, yet I’m telling Sophia to leave her husband, and she fears the exact same thing I do. Being disowned by our mother. I don’t have the courage to stand up to my mother, and yet I want her to do the one thing I can’t do myself. What the fuck is wrong with me?” I say through my tears.
“Nothing. You want to protect your sister. You want her to be safe. You learned your lesson and left a toxic relationship; she has to learn that on her own.”
That doesn’t stop the pain from growing in my chest, the empty feeling inside of me. I can’t afford to lose my sister, so I’ll have to stay out of her business.
“Why are you trying to keep people around who are no good for you, Poppy? You deserve so much more than how you are treated.”
When I don’t respond, Jasper slips his fingers up my dress, pulling my panties to the side. “Do you need me to take care of you?”
I nod, to which he smirks, laying me on the couch. Jasper gets on his knees, placing my legs on his shoulders, and eats me out until I’m screaming his name. Once he’s done, he licks his lips and I move my panties back.
“You don’t want me to make you come?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “This isn’t about me. It’s about making you feel good.”
