"Not by yourself, no, you're not." When her eyes flamed with fury, I continued, "Look, I know it's been the two of you against the world for a time. It's not just the two of you anymore."
Jackson held up a hand in warning, but Annette brushed him off. "Okay. That's acceptable. But you need to know I will grind your bones to dust if you hurt her in the slightest way."
"Annie," Jackson grumbled.
"Understood." I gestured to the house. "Now, you fix the ham situation while I get her out of those shoes."
"Sex is not the answer," Annette called. "It's one of the answers, but nottheanswer. Not until after she gets something to eat and a good night's sleep."
I didn't respond, instead jogging inside and up the stairs. It took longer than it should have since the terrible weather meant the entire town was packed into this house rather than overflowing into the outdoor spaces. When I reached the landing, I yanked my tie loose and shrugged out of my suit coat, dropping both on the banister.
Brooke's door was shut but unlocked. The bedroom was as we'd left it that morning and it was vacant. I ducked my head into the bathroom and walk-in closet before noticing the deck door standing ajar. As I approached, I spotted Brooke on the far corner of the deck, staring out at the ocean while the rain washed over her.
"What are you doing out here?" I called, edging onto the deck. "You're soaked, sweetheart. Come inside."
She didn't respond, didn't react.
I crossed the deck and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. "Come on, Bam. You can't stay out here."
She didn't budge, didn't tear her gaze away from the water.
"I know, sweetheart.I know. This is fucking awful. It's one gut punch after another. Please, let me bring you inside. You're wet and shivering, and I can't watch you do this. It hurts too much."
I pulled her close, my arms around her torso as she swayed toward me. Then, she did it. She destroyed me all over again.
"I'm pregnant."
Chapter Thirty-Four
Brooke
Equity: the degree of ownership after all liabilities and debts have been satisfied.
There wasa reaction to telling Jed I was pregnant. I was sure of it, though I couldn't make out the words. I couldn't hear anything beyond the whirling in my head, the incessant buzzing that came from realizing how much I resented my parents for expecting me to fix them, how much I hated every minute of caring for my father and rearranging my life to hold the shreds of his together, and how angry I was that he died alone too. No one ever let me say goodbye.
They all died, they all left me, but not before I stole the opportunity to leave them. And the staticky hum in my head was the sound of regret.
Jed gathered me up and brought me in from the rain. He stripped off my wet clothes and swaddled me in towels. I wanted my robe, the one I'd nabbed from that obnoxious roommate years ago, but I couldn't climb past the roar in my head to form words.
He tucked me into bed and climbed in beside me, his body warm and his grip certain. His hand raised to my face, he brushed tears from my cheeks. I hadn't realized I was crying.
"Brooke, are you sure about this?" he asked. "You've had a stressful week. That can throw things off, right? It could be that, sweetheart."
"I took a test this morning." I didn't recognize the watery sobs in my voice. "Then I made an appointment with a doctor."
"Why did you do that alone?" he whispered, his lips pressed to my temple. "Why-why didn't you tell me, Bam?"
"The appointment is on Tuesday. In Bangor." My body shook, quaking as the tears fell faster. "There's no such thing as privacy in this town."
"You're not doing that alone," he said. "You're not doing anything else alone. Do you hear me, Brooke? I'm going with you. I amstayingwith you."
I didn't say anything. I didn't think I could—and it didn't matter. Jed would leave me too. He'd leave and I'd have something new to regret.
Chapter Thirty-Five
JJ
Leveraged Buyout: the purchase of a controlling share in an organization by its management using capital provided from outside the organization.
