I’m going to kill him!
My blood boiled. My voice rose to a shriek. “You hit him?”
“Shh. It’s okay, Jules.”
“Right in the diaphragm.”
“Jack! He’s been out of work because he had an accident and broketwoof his ribs!” My vision blurred. “What the heck is wrong with you?”
A flicker of something flashed across Jack’s face. Regret maybe? Hopefully he had some string of his conscience left.
Pat’s voice pleaded with me amid the escalating fight. “Let it go. It’s okay.”
“I’m trying to honor Cameron.”
I froze. Jack crossed the line. Big time. “What did you say?”
“He would hate to see how you’re settling for guys like him.”
“This has nothing to do with Cam.” My voice wobbled, and I took a shuddering breath. “This isn’t even your business!”
“It’s not? Helping you juggle the broken pieces of your life the past three years has certainly become my business.” He scoffed. “You wouldn’t have made it without me.”
Although he was right about that point, he was still wrong overall. He had no right to tell me how to live. I was happy foronce.
“I’m happy right now! Does that matter to you or have you lost sight of why you’ve been helping me through the last few years?”
If looks could kill, Jack would be dead. I could feel my gaze shooting daggers. Silence fell over the three of us. My chest heaved, and Pat’s hand came to the small of my back.
Pat addressed Jack, his calm voice contrasting the adrenaline ripping through my body like black against white. “I don’t want to come between brother and sister. At the end of the day though, the decision is hers and she is the one who has to live with it. If she never wants to see me again, I’ll respect that. But I’m not going to run away because you think it best.”
He was standing up for me. My heart flipped.
Jack was quiet. Sipped his blazing hot coffee.
Pat’s fingers curled around mine, and he lowered his voice. “Jules, I care about you, but I don’t want to cause any drama. If you’d rather me go, I’ll go.”
The breath I was holding tumbled out in a rush. Why did he make me feel so good? Even in a moment like this. I wanted to kill my brother, but Pat was thawing my anger.
“I want you to stay.”
He nodded. “If that’s what you want.” He turned back to Jack, his hand still gripping my own. “I think you heard.”
Jack poured his coffee down the drain. “Sis, put it on record I think he is a mistake.” He turned his shoulders as he slipped past us toward the door. The door slammed behind him.
I felt sick. The tears I’d been fighting gathered in the corner of my vision. I rolled my eyes around, trying to discourage them. Heat climbed my cheeks.
“Pat—I’m so so sorry.”
“Hey, shhh.” His arms came around me, pulling me into his chest. “It’s okay. I promise.”
“He was so degrading. So mean to you.”
“Trust me. I’ve suffered far worse.”
I tilted my head to look him into the face. “He hit you?”
“Nah. Was no big deal.”
