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He’s wearing a pair of pressed slacks and a navy polo shirt. The most shocking part of his appearance though just might be his hair or lack thereof. It seems the hair on his head has relocated to his jawline, and dammit if that doesn’t make him only look more distinguished. He’s still fit, towering over me and everyone else in the room with the exception of Damien. He must have continued his gym regimen after losing his hockey scholarship. I really wish he hadn’t. I’d feel a little better if he was old and overweight. Unfortunately, he's none of those things.
He’s a big-name sports attorney now, or so I’ve heard. Apparently, he finally got that law degree.
Leave it to Tyler to follow the backup plan to a T when plan A doesn’t work out. No surprise there. Anger bubbles up inside of me, replacing the initial punch to the gut from being blindsided in my own home.
I roll my shoulders and prepare for war. We’re on my turf this time, brother.
“Really, T? You think you can just waltz into my house, unannounced? After everything we’ve been through?” I say, unable to keep my voice from sounding defensive. Hell, I am defensive.
Damien walks up beside me, looping his arm around my waist. I can’t tell if he’s holding me to support me or holding me to contain me. Truthfully, I probably need him for both.
“No, I don’t. But I knew if I asked, you’d turn me away. I tried calling. You didn’t answer.” He doesn’t walk further into the kitchen, he stays in the doorway, bringing his hands up in front of his body, almost as if to say he means no harm.
I don’t believe it.
“I’ve been a little busy. We’ve been in the hospital for over a month.” I snap, and Damien squeezes my hip as if to tell me to reel it in. I don’t plan on it. Thanks anyway, bud.
“I know, and I’m so sorry for everything you’ve gone through.”
It irks me how reasonable he sounds right now.
“You sure? You don’t think this is karma coming back to haunt us for all of our childish indiscretions?” Maybe I’m the one being immature here, but who does he think he is? He may have forgotten, but I haven’t. I promised myself I wouldn’t forget.
“No, that’s not what I think at all,” he says calmly.
My mom shuffles around the kitchen until she’s standing in the hallway in front of Astria’s bedroom. I’d forgotten they were both here.
“Astria, baby, why don’t you show me your crochet in your room while the other children speak to one another.” She suggests softly, with a hint of exasperation in her voice, that I don’t miss.
She’s not wrong to take Astria out of the room for this though. We don’t need an audience. I’d rather my daughter not see me completely lose my shit.
Why did she bring him here with her in the first place? She knows exactly how I feel about him.
Tyler interrupts before I can say anything. “It’s okay, Mama. Gia has every right to be angry with me. I deserve it.” That’s right asshole. You do fucking deserve it, but I get to say that – not you.
Who is this man?
“Wait, you’re my mom’s brother?” All of our eyes turn to Astria, who remains standing in the doorway of her bedroom staring at Tyler with wide eyes.
“I am, and I’d like to meet you, if she says it’s okay.” If I say it’s, okay?
What’s his endgame here?
“I’m not the only one that makes decisions in this house. I feel like you pounced on us without so much as a warning. We just got home. We walked in the door less than thirty minutes ago.” I ignore his claims that he called in advance. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. I have his number blocked, so, there’s no way I can be sure.
I hear the door to Astria’s room close behind us.
“Gia, let him speak,” Damien’s voice commands the room.
I glare at him over my shoulder. He’s always backed me up. Why is he on T’s side all of a sudden? I search his green eyes but come up short.
“I need to apologize.” Tyler starts.
“You don’t get to do that.” I interrupt him.
Damien stares down at me, and that’s when I see it in his eyes. I see the forgiveness. He’s already there, two steps ahead of me. How can he forgive someone that’s put us through so much? Something in the way Damien looks at me throws sand on the flame that’s been burning inside of me for so long.
Tyler starts again, and this time, for some reason, I don’t try to stop him. “I hear your anger, and I’m so sorry that I did this to our family. I’m sorry I hurt you. I should have been there for you, and I wasn’t. I let my anger and my emotions overrule my ability to make sound decisions. I was young, and you hurt me. That’s no excuse for the things I said to you or my actions. I don’t expect immediate forgiveness. I’m just asking for you to open the door to consider it.”
