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“I understand why. He’s trying to protect me, but I am his parent, I should protect him. Anders is never around, and when I ask Law about it, he avoids the subject.”
That made sense. Anders—or Murph as he preferred to go by—was dealing with some heavy emotions. He was caught in a web of drugs, stealing, and alcohol, and if he didn’t clean up his act, he’d end up kicked out of the trailer park or worse, in jail. I didn’t tell her any of that.
“I know something horrible is happening.” Her mouth pursed. “And I know Law’s trying to handle it on his own, but I hate that I can’t be their mom.” She shook her head. “But I know my dementia is getting worse, and my good days are fewer. I just....” She pressed a hand to her mouth, a sob threatening to escape. “Please take care of them.”
At this point, Murph was a lost cause, but I nodded anyway. “I’ll try. I promise.”
She dragged my hand up to kiss it. “You know this, but... when I first found out about it, I didn’t tell either of them. I kept it a secret because I thought I was doing the right thing.” She stared at me intently, blue eyes burning a hole in me. “When I told them, and they learned that I’d kept it from them for years, they were angry. They had the right to be. And I realized that in trying to keep them safe, I took time from them, time that they deserved to get used to the idea of the new normal. After I finally confessed the truth, I was already having bad days. I didn’t prepare them.”
I swallowed around the ache in my throat and closed my eyes. She’d told me as soon as she’d found out, and I’d always felt guilty about knowing when her sons hadn’t. They’d been furious at me, too, no matter how many times I’d told them it wasn’t my secret to tell. I was used to people being mad at me, so I’d taken it on the chin.
“The point is, Judah deserves the truth. He gets to decide how he feels about what you and his mother did.” She cupped my cheek and stroked her thumb over my skin, and I leaned into her touch, closing my eyes. “Tell him the truth.”
“Hatred’s easier,” I murmured.
She laughed quietly. “You don’t deserve that punishment for loving your mother and doing what was best for her.” Slowly, she rose, and I helped her until Law came rushing over to take her hand. I watched them leave together, my heart hurting at the sight of her and how weak she was.
Life is short, she’d said, and she was right.
Was I prepared to break Judah’s heart again, though?
* * *
The next day, I arrived at Judah’s huge fucking house at seven thirty exactly like he’d ordered. I didn’t say a word to him as he threw me the keys to his Honda. I hadn’t heard any news about the ruined car.
He looked good, but that wasn’t anything new. The suit he had on today was a burnt maroon that accented him in all the right ways and fit him to perfection, showing off the hard muscles I’d felt as he’d fucked into me yesterday.
He stood near the back door of the car, his eyebrows raised and a smug smirk on his face, and I’d never quite wanted to hit Judah before today. Until now. Jaw clenched, I yanked open his door and bowed dramatically.
“Your Royal Highness, too posh and rich to get into the car himself.”
He grunted, obviously displeased with the stabbing insult, and slid inside before I slammed the door shut again, making the entire car tremble. I got into the driver’s seat.
“To the office.” He gave me the address, his tone tight.
I ignored him as I began driving in the direction he’d given me.
The office was in the city, close to where we’d had our accident, and it was at least a thirty-minute drive with traffic. It would’ve been easier if we didn’t talk, but my bare wrist taunted me, reminding me he’d taken away the one thing I cherished out of all my belongings.
“If you want me to continue this job, I want my bracelet back,” I finally bit out when the rage boiled over.
“Want you to—” He laughed. “I’m throwing you a bone here, Tavish. You should be grateful to be my driver.”
“Stop with the dog analogies,” I snapped harshly, glancing at him in the rearview mirror when we came to a standstill at a red light. “I know I’m beneath you, but I’m not your fuckin’ pet.”
He froze and peered up. “I never.... I don’t think of you as a dog.”
I snorted, not quite believing him.
“Is that why you broke up with me?” he snarled, some of his anger returning. “Because of some weird social class bullshit?”
I closed my eyes for a moment before a honk of a horn drove me back into action. I hit the accelerator and focused on the road. It was easy. All I’d have to do was lie. Tell him that was exactly the reason I’d ended our relationship all those years ago, but then I’d never been a liar. I’d broken his heart, told him it was over, but I’d never lied to him. I’d never given him a reason at all, which was why he was here, adamant about wanting to know the answer.
“Fucking hell, Tav, I never knew you were a coward.”
He opened his laptop. The typing on his computer was rough and the clicks of the keys were loud in my ears.
Lie, lie, lie. It was simple, but why couldn’t I do it?
