AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They knew. They all knew.
“Jordyn,” Bama’s voice is a rough plea, his ocean blue eyes searching mine for any sign of understanding or forgiveness.
But all I can see is red. Red like blood, like the rage that must have consumed him that night.
The night he became someone I didn’t recognize.
“Why?” I manage to choke out, my throat tight with emotion. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because,” he breathes, stepping closer but stopping when he sees me flinch, “I didn’t want you to look at me like this. Like I’m some monster.”
“How am I supposed to look at you, Bama?” I snap, the anger bubbling up despite myself. “You killed your father. You made it look like suicide. And then you let everyone believe it. That’s why I’m . . . like this right now. You could have told me all of this in the beginning and you didn’t. The fact is, I’m not angry about what you did. I’m angry about how I know you weren’t going to mention any of this to me.”
He runs a hand through his golden curls, frustration etched into every line of his face. “I did what I had to do. He was a bastard, Jordyn. He deserved it.”
“Maybe he did,” I admit, hating the truth of it. “But that doesn’t change what you did.”
“Do you hate me?” His question is a whisper, a fragile thing that could shatter with the wrong answer.
I don’t know what to say. My mind is a whirlpool of thoughts, dragging me under.
Hate? No. Fear? Maybe. Confusion? Definitely. But love . . . love is still there, buried beneath the rubble of this revelation.
“Jordyn, please,” he begs, taking a tentative step toward me. “I get this is a lot to process. Just don’t walk away from me right now, okay?”
I stand there, staring at the space between us.
The air feels heavy, like it’s pressing down on my chest.
My mind’s a mess, tangled with thoughts that refuse to untangle.
“Jordyn,” Bama’s voice breaks the silence. “He was a horrible man.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he was,” I manage to say, my voice sounding foreign to me. Hollow. “But I’m tired, Bama. I just . . . I need to go to bed.”
His eyes search mine, desperation flickering in those ocean-blue depths.
I can see he’s hurting, but damn it, so am I. Everything feels upside down now.
“Can I stay?” I ask, my voice softer, trying to bridge the gap that’s formed between us. “With you, I mean?”
His face softens, relief washing over him.
Maybe he understands that staying means I’m not running. Not yet, anyway.
He nods, stepping closer, his movements slow and cautious.
“Of course,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper.
We move through the clubhouse and head upstairs. His arm is around me the entire way up, and we walk slowly, sure not to push my body too hard, too fast.
Once we get to his room, I sit on the edge of his bed, feeling the exhaustion seep into my bones.
He stands by the door, watching me like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he blinks.
“Come here,” I say, patting the space beside me.
Bama hesitates for a second before crossing the room.
