“Well, this has been a very eventful dinner, and I’m calling it done now.” I pulled my purse strap over my shoulder.
“We’re not done discussing this.” Our father didn’t attempt to hide his irritation that I was ending the conversation.
“I think we’ve said plenty for one night.” I couldn’t look at either of them. I turned and left the restaurant.
The farther I got down the road, the more I wished I’d worn my boots and not these heels. My feet were already killing me.
I listened to the sound of the river water crashing against the rocks as I tried to tamper down my anger.
I was done with all of it.
All the lies.
All the secrets.
Things had to change. But first I needed to find out what was real, and what wasn’t.
I had questions for Axel Chadwick.
And I was not going to sleep tonight until I had answers.
eleven
. . .
Axel
I was sittingout on my front porch, sipping a beer.
Maybe a part of me wanted to see Collin when he brought her home. Look him in the eyes and let him know that I was aware of what he’d done to his sister.
Or maybe I just wanted to make sure she was okay after having dinner with her brother and their father.
I saw movement at the end of the driveway, just as the motion lights turned on. Wren came walking up the gravel path, and I could tell just by the way her shoulders were set that she wasn’t okay.
“Hey, did you just walk home alone at night?” I asked, pushing to my feet and setting my beer bottle down on the table beside me.
She turned toward me and then stormed in my direction. “Did you know?”
“Did I know what?”
“Did you know that Collin is the one who sold Wrax?” she shouted.
I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans. “Yes.”
She threw her hands in the air and shook her head. “Of course you did. There’s not one honest person left in the world, is there?”
She turned and stalked toward the stairs leading to her apartment.
“Hey!” It was me shouting now as I chased after her. “You don’t get to make accusations like that and then run away.”
She whipped around, to find me right behind her. “I’m not making accusations. You just admitted that you knew. I told you that Collin was looking for Wrax. That’s when you should have told me the truth. But I shouldn’t be surprised. This isn’t the first time you’ve blindsided me.”
She was off and moving again, but I was faster this time. I wrapped my fingers around her bicep and turned her around to face me. “I was not lying to you, Wren. I withheld the truth because I knew it would hurt you, and you’re going through a lot as it is. I was trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection, Axel. I need the goddamn truth!” She was louder than I’d ever heard her, and I’d never seen her so angry.
“I have never lied to you, Wren, regardless of what you believe. I chose not to tell you about Collin because I knew it would crush you to know that your own brother is the piece of shit who negotiated the deal. But I didn’t want to add more pain to your plate. And that’s the fucking truth.”
