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I sigh.
“I just can’t be dealing with it right now. They might think it’s funny, but I’m going to snap on them soon. Especially when they made a comment about my mom.”
I feel the lump building in my throat again. I’m not going to cry in front of him. I will not. He fits forward, peering at me with hazel eyes that are threatening to suck me in.
“What did they say?”
“Something that I can’t bear to repeat,” I whisper. I can’t look at him when I speak. “Her funeral was three days ago. It just makes me sick that they would make that comment.”
“I’m sorry.” He sounds genuine about it. “It must be hard.”
Something touches my back, and I jump. I look behind me, and see that he’s touching my back. I can feel the heat of his hand through my shirt. But I don’t tell him to move away, even as he makes no move to pull his hand back.
It feels like comfort. A tiny gesture is giving me more comfort than what I have had already. What is wrong with me?
“You have no idea,” I mutter. “I lost both of my parents that day. Maybe even before then.”
Luke frowns.
“Did your father die as well?”
“No, he’s alive. He’s just with a coworker.” I swallow. “He snuck off from Mom’s funeral to screw her in the house. I had to walk in on them.”
Luke blinks. Then he stares at me.
“He was cheating on your mother?”
“More than that. He went out and got married to her while we were having Mom’s funeral. And then the…that woman…” I stop myself from cursing. “She has the audacity to think that I have no right to be upset over the fact she and Dad are now married. Even though they were messing around on Mom while she was going through chemo.”
I can feel how close I am to tears. Every time I talk, or even think, about Dad and the woman he married I feel like I’m going to break down. It’s been three days since I left, and Dad hasn’t reached out to apologize. I did get a text, but there was no apology. It was just a lot of excuses and scolding me for not accepting his wife.
I cannot believe he could be so callous.
Getting to my feet, I pace away from the couch, running my hands through my hair. This is stopped because my hair is still tied back, and my fingers get caught. I tug the band out of my hair, fighting back the urge to scream. The anger is barely contained, and I want to lose it.
“Elle?”
I freeze. Then there are footsteps, and I feel hands on my shoulders.
“I’m sorry.” His voice is soft. “I can’t begin to imagine how things must be for you right now.”
“I can’t believe he would betray Mom like that. Even if they weren’t getting on, he shouldn’t be so disrespectful. To cheat on the day of your wife’s funeral…” I let out a snarl and shrug his hands off. “I wish I could wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze.”
“That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”
“A bit much would be bitch-slapping his side piece into next week the moment I hear she’s a part of my family now! Dad is lucky I didn’t do that.” It’s getting harder to push the anger back now. “I want to grieve my mom. I miss her, and I want to remember her. But all I can think of is seeing those two…those two, in Mom’s house…”
“Elle.”
Luke takes my hands. I hadn’t realized that they were clenched into fist. His fingers feel warm around my hands.
“Just take a deep breath.”
“What am I supposed to do when my life is turned upside-down and refuses to go back up again?”
“Getting angry is just going to make things harder for you.” His voice is gentle, soothing. “It’s done now. He made his bed, so he can lie in it. Focus on you, not on him.”
I snort.
