“I don’t know.”He shrugged jerkily, feeling like a child.“Maybe, I guess.Nothing diagnosed or whatever.”
“I’d consider that the next time you feel like using alcohol as a crutch.There is such a thing as genetic predetermination when it comes to addiction.”
“I’m not addicted.”
“I didn’t say you were,” she replied evenly.“I said it’s something to consider next time you find yourself engaging in self-destructive behavior you feel is… dulling the pain.”
“I guess I should just start fights and piss my family off instead?”
She didn’t sigh or frown like anyone in his family would have, she sat there on his screen looking placid and pleasant.Her patience was truly a marvel.
She deserved every cent he paid her.
“Cal, I want you to consider that hurting the people around you is a defense mechanism, not some fault or personality defect.Notwhoyou are.It’s something you’ve learned to do to handle emotional upheaval.And if you startrecognizingthat, you can start healing that part of yourself.”
“By doing what?”
“Well, the first step would be to specifically and genuinely apologize to the people you hurt yesterday.The second step would be to start recognizing the feeling before you lash out.Feel the feeling.Accept the feeling.Not try to fight it.”
He couldn’t stop the sneer on his face.“Bennets aren’t big on apologies.”
“You’re not bound by some last name code, Cal.You get to decide what you’re big on.I’d like to see youbigon healing.Forgiving.And asking for forgiveness.And I think your homework for this week is to work on… unburdening yourself.”
“What does that mean?”
“Talk.Tell the people around you what you’re feeling.Instead of reaching for alcohol, reach for an ear.”
The thought truly made his gut churn.Unburden.It was the opposite of everything he’d been taught.Byeveryoneand everything, good and bad, in his life.
He said his goodbyes, turned off the video conferencing, slammed his laptop shut, then just sat there, scowling.
And yeah, he wanted a fucking drink.
Homework.Like he was some fucked-up kid.He was a grown man.
But he got up and went outside where he knew he’d find his family.And did his damn homework.
*
Aly didn’t pounddown Cal’s door and demand he eat breakfast.Though shewantedto.And since she wouldn’t have been able to resist eventually doing that if she’d stayed inside, she’d gone out to handle some chores.
Landon was in the barn, so she was about to go find him, but the sunrise stopped her.One of those gorgeous winter ones—the sky a shade of blue that only came out when the temperatures were this cold.Then muted fuchsias and the golden glow of a sun just tipping over the mountains in the distance.So, she just stood there, halfway between house and barn, and let herself enjoy the moment of beauty and peace.Let it settle inside of her, and tried hard to believe it was a sign everything would be okay.
Whoever this man was who looked like the Bennet brothers was just some long-lost relative.It didn’t have to be sinister, like Sam had said.Maybe Nate and Cal had to believe that, but Aly… she desperately didn’t want to.She wanted to know that when the trial was overthiswas over.
If this stranger had something to do with Ben… She shook her head.She couldn’t deal inifs.Like Sam had said, there were just too many.
“Stunner.”
Aly looked back, more than shocked to see Cal standing there.He wasn’t dressed for court yet.He was actually dressed in clothes suitable to do chores in—something he almost never did when he was home.
She hadn’t expected him to… well, the pattern was usually he shut himself away for a few days after a particularly bad day.She supposed he couldn’t with the trial, but he didn’t seem so… edgy or angry.He didn’t have that sharp look on his face.
Not that he looked happy or hopeful, but Aly wanted to believe resigned was better than antagonistic.
“A good omen,” she offered, desperate for that to be true.
His mouth curved, though not happily.“I’ll leave omens up to you.”He heaved out a heavy sigh.“Listen, Al.I’m sorry for the way I behaved yesterday.”
