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“Hmm. I’m not sure. I guess Mom, Aunt Cass, Harley, and Skylar. Probably Jasmine too.”
“Right. You have a huge support system. Who does he have? He has no siblings. He has no real relationship with his parents, particularly not his father. I have no idea if he has a lot of friends, but I’m sure it’s hard to have true friends being in his position.”
I think about it for a moment. “I guess I’ve only met one friend who I know he fully trusts.”
“Right. I know I have a huge group of people that always have my back. You know you have a huge group that always has your back. Who does he have? Maybe one person he can trust? And then you came into his life with your full army. He definitely likes hanging with our family. That’s obvious. I think he’s come to rely on you and then you pulled the rug out from under him. I’m sure he feels alone right now.”
“But he…”
“I know. I know, he wasn’t totally truthful. But I also know that he never actually did anything to hurt your company. Even if his father wanted him to, he never did.” He scrunches his nose. “I also really do think he’s in love with you. You can’t fake the way he looks at you.”
I have a fresh set of tears in my eyes. “Maybe, but that doesn’t absolve him of how he deals with his father.”
“I get it. I’m not telling you what to do. You had a great father. I have a great father. He doesn’t. Just put yourself in his shoes for a minute. It sucks to be him. He didn’t create the game. He’s just playing it to the best of his ability. Maybe he’s not doing it perfectly, but he’s not a bad guy. You know that.”
I stare at Trevor who has only been in my life for four years but has become my brother and one of my best friends. He’s grown up so much in those four years. “You’ve been a father for all of five minutes and look at you being all wise and shit.” He smiles as he squeezes me close. I swallow. “Let me get through Jess and Hayden’s wedding. Then I’ll think about sitting down with him.”
He nods. “Sounds good. That reminds me. I need to write the best man speech.”
“You haven’t written it yet? It’s this weekend.”
“It’s easy. That shit practically writes itself.”
“You make sure you behave yourself. It’s their special day.”
“I’m a mature father now. I know how it works.”
We both laugh.
CHAPTERTWENTY
CARTER
The past few weeks without Reagan have been torture for me. Everything else in my life has lost importance without her. In such a relatively short amount of time, she’s become my salvation.
I thought I had her listening to me in the elevator, but then she attacked my fortitude. My backbone. It’s caused me to reflect on my actions and the reasons behind them.
Walking into my father’s office that day changed me. Hearing and assuming that he harasses and possibly assaults women is different than walking into a scene where he clearly attempted to sexually assault the woman I love. I’ve never felt more powerless. I’ve never felt more responsible for someone else’s pain. I can’t help but wonder how many women he’s hurt. How many women couldn’t protect themselves the way Reagan did?
Obviously, I’ve never had a tremendous amount of respect or love for my father, but we’ve passed the point of no return. I’ll never have another holiday with him, have a meal with him, or even a simple cordial conversation. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a father.
My mother won’t leave him. I’ll never be around him again. So, I basically have no family. I’m thankful for a loyal friend like Collin, but it’s Reagan who I know I can’t live without. She’s my family now. I need to get her back. I’m crystal clear on what needs to be done.
I arrive at my parents’ house. I know my father isn’t home. I’m here to talk to my mother. This is going to be a tough conversation, but I’m focused on getting my girl back and doing the right thing.
Mom opens the door. She smiles when she sees me. “Carter, what a pleasant surprise.”
“Hey, Mom.” I kiss her cheek. “I need to talk to you.” She nods.
I go inside. We sit in their overly formal living room. She grabs my hand. “Carter, you don’t look well. What’s wrong?”
“I’m not well, Mom. I’ve been unhappy for a very long time.”
She looks surprised, which just shows how clueless she can be. “Are things not going well with Reagan? You two seem so in love.”
“I’m completely in love with her. She’s genuinely the only thing in this world that makes me happy. Until Reagan came into my life, did you ever notice how unhappy I was?”
She thinks for a moment. “I’m your mother. I know you’ve never been a particularly joyful person. I can imagine your father is hard on you at work, just as he’s always been at home. I’ve seen a change in you lately though. I imagine we have Ms. Lawrence to thank for that.”
