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“What happened?” I ask because that obviously didn’t take place.
“Well, my dad was pushing my mom to drop out of college and take over at the diner for my grandparents. He saw that diner as an easy meal ticket. In my mom’s head, I think she believed this was her way out, too.
“When Brandon came back, she and him could work here and live happily ever after, financially sound, so she dropped out.
“One night, Dad came banging on the diner door, demanding my mom let him in. She was sick of him, and his drinking was steadily becoming an issue. But she promised Brandon she would wait for his return before she broke up with my dad because Brandon wanted to be the one who told him.
“They had a huge fight because although my father was a drunken idiot, he wasn’t stupid, and he knew something was wrong. He demanded to know what, but she never told him, as she had promised Brandon, and she didn’t want to get him into trouble.
“When he wouldn’t let it go, she did the only thing she could do to shut him up—she slept with him. On the dirty kitchen floor of that diner is where I was conceived.”
I can feel my mouth moving wordlessly because I don’t know what to say.
But Quinn shakes his head, not wanting my sympathy.
“When she found out she was pregnant, her hopes of playing happy family got shot to hell because she knew Brandon would never marry her now. Marrying your brother’s ex, who is pregnant with your brother’s baby, is fucking messed up, and in the end, Brandon chose his family over her.
“He never returned to South Boston after she wrote to him and told him she was pregnant. He said the honorable thing to do would be to marry my father because the scandal of her being pregnant before marriage in a small town such as ours, well, you can just imagine the gossip. So she did.
“She married him and was fucking miserable until, of course, Brandon came home. She told me the moment he returned, they both felt it. Her love for him was still as strong as the day he left, but things had changed.
“Brandon was married, and his wife was expecting their first child. This broke my mother, who was unhappily married with a son she never wanted, so she did everything in her power to make Brandon want her again. She seduced him, and because all men think with their dicks, he fell for her seduction. They finally consummated their fucked-up love, and that’s when Tristan was conceived.”
My mouth is still hanging open, as I don’t know what to say. I thought my family history was fucked up, but this, holy crap, this shit is messed up.
“Deep down, I think she meant to get pregnant, hoping he would choose her and her baby over his new family, but he didn’t. After all was said and done, he returned to Texas to his wife and legitimate child.”
“So he knew she was pregnant with Tristan?” I finally say, thankful I can speak.
Quinn nods. “Yes, but he didn’t care. This broke my mom, and she stayed with my father because she would prefer to be miserable than alone. And also, being a young, single mom with two kids in a small country town really doesn’t do any favors to one’s reputation.
“Deep down, I think my dad knew Tristan wasn’t his. I mean, he only had to take one look into Tristan’s eyes and see Brandon’s eyes staring back at him. But he never said anything, as denial is bliss. And besides, he had an easy ride being married to my mom. He gambled away our money and drank himself silly.
“But something inside my mom snapped the day he hit me. She finally grew balls and left him, and everything was going great until Brandon decided to come back home and fuck everything up. He divorced his wife and granted her full custody of his son, Mason.”
My mouth once again parts in shock, and Quinn sadly nods. “Yes, Red, Tristan has a half brother.”
“Oh, Quinn.”
“I don’t want your pity.”
I quickly nod, understanding the feeling all too well. “So what happened?”
“Well, as messed up as life is, what I walked into was my mom and Brandon discussing their future—a future that didn’t include me. My mom was finally going to get her wish and be married to Brandon, and together, they would run the diner—her dream finally come true.
“Tristan, of course, was a part of this fairy-tale ending, and they were going to tell him that Brandon was his real father.”
“So where did that leave you?” I ask, almost afraid of his answer.
“It left me to rot in some Army boot camp for delinquent teens. Brandon convinced my mom this was for the best as she could no longer help me, and my only future would be a military one. Otherwise, I would end up in prison or worse still, end up like my father.
“She tried to reason with me that this was for the best, and she was only doing this for me. But I knew she was only doing this for herself. I was the last piece tying her to a past she longed to escape because she never wanted me.
“She was never mean to me and tried her best to be a good mother, but I know when she looked at me, she saw my father, and she also saw her wasted youth. And now that she was given a second chance with Brandon, she wasn’t letting anyone stand in her way—not even her son.”
“What did you do?” I question, knowing Quinn would never stand for this.
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I did the only thing I could do.”
