Jo sighed. “You need to fix this, you know that, right?” She reached down to squeeze my hand. “Despite what you did, despite the time that has gone by, Hutch still loves you. That’s why I made him pick you up.”
“Which reminds me,” I pointed a finger at my sister, “you hugged him. I didn’t see him flinch or push you away or anything. What’s that about?” I tilted my head.
“Nope.” Jo popped thepextra hard. “You don’t get to ask me anything about his private life unless I feel like talking about it. I told you as much of the tea that I felt like spilling.” She dropped my hand as she fake-yawned and covered her mouth. “So sleepy now. I think I should go to bed. See you in the morning?” She gave me a wicked grin.
I nodded before I grabbed my suitcase to follow her into the house. Nothing had changed inside the place either. The kitchen table still had the chairs we all had sat in for breakfast and dinner with the extras stacked in the corner of the kitchen. The bright yellow walls looked like they had been updated, the curtains freshly washed and pressed. As I moved through the hall, I noticed the living room sofa I knew was gone, having been replaced with some hideous faux suede sectional. It was bigger than what was there before, but it fit perfectly even if it was ugly as all hell.
“Mom’s been redecorating.” Jo caught me looking and shrugged when I turned to face her. “I think it’s an empty nester thing,” she added.
The stairs still creaked when I stepped on them, but my mother had always been a heavy sleeper so I didn’t worry I would wake her. I flipped on the light of my old room, but wasn’t prepared for the loneliness that hit me when I stepped inside. The bunkbeds were gone, replaced by a large bed that was now covered in what I figured were brand-new white sheets and comforters, but everything else was still the same. Pink walls covered with ballet posters, photos of me with my friends, and...shit. I moved over to the window seat to pull the last photo I had stuck there before I left, removing a chunk of paint with it.
Hutch stared back at me with a lopsided grin and his arm was around my shoulders. It was taken the night we had gone to the beach with Jo and Pat. His eyes were glossy from all the alcohol, but he looked so happy, the way I always liked to remember him. My hair was a mess, my bun falling apart, and I had that summer tan I always seemed to get every year growing up here.
I was so in love with him.
I jumped at the knock on my window and immediately dropped the photo onto the floor when I saw Hutch crouched on the roof watching me. He made a motion for me to let me in, and as I stepped forward to unlock it, I wondered why he was here and not with Madison. “What?” I hissed as I pushed up the screen to watch him climb inside my room.
“I need answers, bean, this can’t wait.” He shoved the window down so hard I waited for the glass to shatter into pieces. Hutch looked around the room with wide eyes. “Christ, this place hasn’t changed, has it?” he muttered before his browns landed back on me.
I shook my head. “No, forget it, leave.” I pointed back to where he had just came from.
“What the hell!” I exclaimed when he slammed me back against the wall and stared at up at him, wide eyed.
Hutch’s nostrils flared as he popped his jaw. “Don’t fucking test me, Jillian, because you won’t like me when I get angry,” he seethed.
“Okay, Bruce Banner.”
“Why? Why did you fucking leave without saying goodbye?” he asked that question again, the one I had been dreading for four damn years.
Chapter Eighteen
Hutch
Istared down at Jillian, waiting for her to answer me. To give me anything that would make some damn sense about why she ruined my life four years ago. Her green eyes filled with tears and her mouth parted, but then I watched her face crumble. Even though it hurt me to see her cry, I wasn’t going to break down. I planted both my hands on either side of her body against the wall to cage her in and waited.
“Shouldn’t you be with your child?” Her voice shook. “With your girlfriend?” Jillian raised her chin. “What does it matter why I left, Hutch? You have more important things to worry about now.” She ducked under my arm.
