AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I do, however, expect you to apologize to him for how you reacted,” I added quietly.
My sister’s eyes glossed over. “Poppy, I’m so sorry if I made you feel worse.”
“I appreciate that, butIdon’t need the apology. He deserves one, though.” My eyes burned too, but I refused to drop her gaze. “I should have spoken up yesterday, but there were a million people watching us, and I felt like”—my voice wobbled slightly—”like everything was exploding around me, and I didn’t want to say the wrong thing or…”
Greer reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing my fingers tightly. “I’ll talk to him today.”
A sigh of relief came out in a rush, and I nodded.
Erik cleared his throat. “I wasn’t there, so I can only imagine what Greer did?—”
“There was a hammer involved,” Ian answered.
Greer grimaced.
“Of course there was,” Erik said dryly. My oldest brother, stern and serious, gentled his tone when he shifted his attention back to me. “Listen, Poppy, I think we all understand why you didn’t tell us about Jax. It makes sense.” My relief was short-lived because he wasn’t quite done. “But it’s not a bad thing that your siblings are protective of you.”
I notched my chin up. “I know that. But there were two people involved in this situation. Jax didn’t seek me out, and he didn’t seduce me. In fact, he was very against me being there in the first place,” I explained. “He swore alotwhen I first showed up, but my Uber driver was already gone, andwe’d both been drinking. I mean, I was one bottle deep when I showed up, so...”
Cameron dropped his head in his hands and emitted a low groan. Ivy patted his back.
Erik slicked his tongue over his teeth, looking very unimpressed. “All the more reason that he should’ve kept his distance. You’re ten years younger than he is, Poppy. Ten years. And not only that but he was more than aware of your crush on him. It was reckless, at best.”
I tilted my head. “And how much younger than you is your wife?”
His jaw tightened, and he looked away. “That’s?—”
“Different,” I finished for him. “It’s always different for the rest of you than it is for me.”
Cameron lifted his head, deciding it was time to insert himself. “We’re allowed to be worried for you, Poppy. That’s part of being a family. Even if it wasn’t Jax, we’d be worried.”
“I’m not telling you not to be worried,” I said. My notecards got tossed onto the table because we were officially off the damn script. Acceptable family boundaries was third on my meeting agenda, not first. My head started spinning. “This isn’t what I wanted to be talking about right now, okay? I just…” I paused, steadying the emotions that threatened to swamp me. “I just want you to listen.”
“We are listening,” Adaline added gently. “We can do all those things at the same time. Worry about you, and care about you getting hurt, and we can listen to what you’re trying to tell us.”
“Are you listening?” I asked. “Because right now it feels like everyone is just talking over me.”
Everyone went quiet, and I noticed my mom covertly brush a finger under her eye.
“I know I’m younger than Jax. That I’m younger than all of you,” I said. “But I’m twenty-five. I’m not a kid. Yes, it was impulsive to go to his place. I know that, okay?” I spearedCameron with a look, and he returned it steadily. “I’m not perfect. I’m just me. And I’m trying to figure this out as I go, but it is unfair for you guys to cast me in some helpless role like I can’t take care of myself. Should we talk about the shit you guys got into when you were my age? Or older?” I asked.
Erik’s eyes dropped.
Greer shifted in her seat.
“I never judged any of you,” I said hotly. “I never freaked out when you up and moved away and didn’t come home for years,” I said, eyes shifting pointedly between Erik and Ian. “I didn’t yell or threaten anyone when you married a stranger,” I said to Greer. “Or when you slept withyourfirst crush, knowing he was leaving the next day,” I said to Adaline. She dropped her gaze.
The far left screen flared to life. Parker’s sleepy face filled the screen as he yawned, stretching his muscled arm over his head. “Am I late?”
My eyes narrowed. “Oh, don’t even get me started onyou.”
He blinked. “What did I miss?”
Ian swiped a hand over his mouth, spearing our youngest brother with a stern look.
A part of me wondered if I should take a break. Do some breathing exercises. Maybe some meditation in the hallway. And then, honestly, I just said fuck it, and let my rarely shown temper take the freaking reins.
“Everyone in this family has screwed up over the years, but I’m the only sibling who seems to warrant special treatment, like I can’t make my own fucking decisions,” I said, voice a touch louder than was comfortable. “I knew what I was doing when I slept with him. That he wouldn’t want more, and I was okay with that. I knew that it was a risk and I might get hurt, but that’slife. I didn’t want to wake up one morning and wish I’d missed a chance to know if he ever felt the same. Or what it would be like to pretend he was mine for one night. And yes,it hurt when he left, but I’m still here. I didn’t crumple, I didn’t break, and I’m doing my best in a really complicated situation.”
