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“And yet, you keep doing the things that make them talk. And you let Paige do them.”
“Enough.” I would let him air his frustrations, but some statements couldn’t go unchallenged. “Paige is hardly flaunting her relationship, and even if she is, she has as much of a right as anyone. And I’ve been friends with Deacon for a long time.”
“But you’ve only been bragging about sleeping with him recently.”
Ice settled in the pit of my stomach. I’d like to argue I hadn’t bragged, but that was exactly what I’d done to Travis.
“And maybe you don’t like it here, and if so, why did you drag us here? Because now I’m here, and I like it here, and unlike Paige I’m not desperate to leave, and I don’t like having to hear people talk about you.” Bryan’s voice was raw.
There was a lot to unpack there. “I can’t live my life based on what other people think.” The words were easy to say, but today they dug deep, insisting I give them a closer look and be a little more honest with my son and myself. I didn’t have the time for that.
“But every time someone calls you the town slut, I have to decide whether to pretend I don’t care, or deck them. You’re lucky the only thing I did was hide in the barn.”
“Don’t you dare threaten me.” I didn’t want to get mad again. “We’re having a civil conversation, and you can be an adult about it.”
Bryan sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “I’m surprised you noticed. I’m surprised you noticed I was gone.”
Guilt met reemerging anger. “Of course I noticed.” Deacon’s words echoed in my thoughts. Yelling wasn’t going to make this better, but I so badly wanted to. “I was worried about you. We called most of the town, and every hospital in a fifty-mile radius, looking for you. That’s why Deacon and Adam were here. Not for me, but to help look for you.”
I sat next to him on the bed, forcing myself to look more calm. “Why were you hiding in the barn?”
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he relented. “I didn’t want to be here with just Paige and Jamie and I wasn’t in the mood to hang out with my friends. I’m so sick of everyone talking about how they can’t wait to get away from this place when they graduate. What’s wrong with being here? With staying here?”
I knew Bryan wanted to go to a local college, but it hadn’t occurred to me he didn’t have the same wanderlust his sister did. How did I not know that about my own kid? “Nothing’s wrong with that.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” He huffed and lay back on his bed. “I’m sorry I scared you. I don’t think you’re the town slut. I’ll make sure to take my phone with me next time I go hide in the shed.”
“Bryan...” I didn’t know what to say.
He rolled on his side, back to me. “The tank was uncomfortable. I’m going to sleep.”
I could dig in my heels on the punishment. Make him go clean something. Force him to stay up all day. But guilt was beating out everything else, leaving me feeling defeated.
I’d told myself for a long time that I didn’t live my life based on other people’s opinions, but was that true? A nagging voice in the back of my head asked if the town talking played any part in why I’d been single until now. But I had two lives I needed to be worried about. Two children I should be giving my all to. I needed to be here for Paige. For Bryan. I had to be a part of my kids’ lives for as long as they needed me.
Nothing else was more important.
TWENTY-EIGHT
ADAM
We needto dial things back for a while. I’m sorry.
I stared in disbelief at the text from Brooke as I sat behind the counter in Deacon’s shop. We had been trying to make plans for the rest of the day when I got her message.
Dial things back. What does that mean?I replied.
Three bouncing dots taunted me as she typed. After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a few seconds, her message popped up.
I can’t see you anymore.
No. Uh-uh. She hadnotjust dumped me over text. No way. “Fuck this. I’m going back to Brooke’s.”
Deacon stared at me in disbelief.. “Not a good idea. She needs time to cool down.”
“And I need to make things right.” I showed him the brief exchange. As soon as he’d flicked his gaze over the screen then looked away, I dialed her number… and went straight to voicemail. “Brooke, what is this? Talk to me, please?” I kept my tone contrite in the message, but as soon as I hung up, my scowl was back. I hopped from the stool. “I’ll be back.”
I jerked to a stop when Deacon grabbed my arm and held tight. “You’ll let Brooke calm down.”
