“You talk it out. You hit shit, you love your woman, but you gotta actively make the choice to forgive your brother. Because heisyour brother, Aero.”
I took a deep breath.
“What do you need from me?” Hatch asked.
“No fuckin’ idea.”
“I got your back, Jasper. Whatever you need.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Do you?” he asked, and I nodded.
“You’re the reason I’m alive, Hatch. You and Rocky kept me from doing something rash,” I said. “And Violet helped me heal.”
“She’s good value, as Maisie says.”
I smiled. “Yeah, she really is.”
“And since you’re healin’, bud, you think maybe you can give Harmon a break?”
I studied my mentor.
“He’s got nothin’,” Hatch continued. “He loved your sister like you love Letti, and because he made a bad judgement call, he lost her. To add insult to injury, he lost you as well. You think you can maybe put yourself in his shoes?”
I pushed away from Hatch, standing, and dragging my hands through my hair. “How do I do that, Hatch?” I asked. “I’ve hated him for a long time.”
“That’s because it was easier than forgiving him and Stella. You’ve got some resentment toward your Mom, too, because she didn’t turn her back on Harmon.”
“Jesus, how the fuck do you know everything?”
Hatch smiled. “Will ya tell my woman that? ’Cause she argues with me on the regular.”
“You might want to stop mansplaining shit to her then.”
He chuckled. “You might be right.”
I continued to pace as I tried to process.
“I’m gonna give you a few, then I’ll send Harmon back, yeah?”
I nodded, and Hatch left the room. I immediately pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Violet.
“Hi, honey,” she breathed out. “Give me a second, it’s loud in here.”
I could hear noise going in the background, and suddenly missed my people to the point of pain.
“Sorry, baby, I’m back,” she said.
“Party?”
“No, just the family, if you can believe that. Teddy’s in an epic pinball fight with Orion.”
“Sounds like they’re having a ball,” I said.
“No, it’s horrible, honey. You’re not missing anything.”
I chuckled. “Thanks.”
