And that’s when it hits me, whatever Drew’s talking about, whatever betrayal he’s holding on to, it’s real. Big. Perhaps so big, it’s something they won’t be able to come back from.
Olivia told me Pete didn’t cheat, that their marriage just fell apart. But the way Pete’s face hardens and the way Drew seems wrecked and burdened, like the weight of this, whateverthisis, may be too much for him to bear, I’m not so sure anymore. Whatever truth sits between father and son, it’s poison…
And it’s about to spill.
Pete stills, unbending as stone. His face hardens, the veins at his temple throbbing as he snares his son’s gaze. Neither of them moves, neither willing to yield.
From my position, only a few feet away, I’m poised to step in if needed. I want to kick the bastard out, but this isn’t my fight. Well, at least, not yet. And I respect Drew, want to give him the space to work this out his way.
Still, if it goes south, I’ll act.
Pete finally breaks the stalemate. His shoulders drop, just slightly. “We’ll have to talk eventually, Drew.”
His son lets out a bitter laugh, no humor in it. “Whatever. I don’t want to hear what you have to say.”
Drew stalks away, the anger rolling off him like heat, and Pete watches him go. For a moment, the fury in his body gives way to something that almost resembles regret. But then his gaze lands on me again, and any softness vanishes.
With one last hard glare, he mutters something under his breath and storms out, slamming the door so hard the frame rattles.
“Thank fuck he’s gone.” Drew’s voice is smaller now, drained as he sinks into a chair, rubbing his face. “Please don’t tell my mom what happened.”
“Why?”
“She’ll get upset, and then it’ll domino from there. I can handle it. Just… Don’t say anything, okay?”
“I won’t, but I don’t like keeping things from her.”
He nods, guilt flickering across his face. “Sorry, Sam. I shouldn’t have asked you to.”
“Look, I get it.” I lower myself to the edge of the table. “I won’t bring it up, but I’ll make sure she gives you space. I can tell you don’t want her hovering.”
That earns me a small, tired smile. “Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
He hesitates as we move toward the living room. “What if you know something you feel someone has a right to know, but you don’t want to hurt them? Would you tell them?”
Shit. A sharp twist grips my gut. This isn’t a hypothetical question. This is eating at him. Has been for some time now. And yeah, I can read between the lines. Pete cheated. Or worse.
He’s asking me what to do, and I have no damn clue how to answer that. I don’t want to steer him wrong, but I also can’t dump that kind of truth on Olivia if it’s not mine to tell.
“Honestly.” I rub the back of my neck. “Maybe that’s something you should talk to your mom about. She’s better at this than I am.”
“Maybe.” Disappointment clouds his features.
“Hey.” I pause to catch his gaze. “Think about it. She cares about you. If there’s something you’re struggling with, she’d want to help.”
He sighs, dragging a hand down his face. “That’s the problem. If I tell her, she’ll get hurt.”
That stops me cold.
Because whatever this is—it’s not just about Pete. It’s about Olivia. And the thought of her being hurt again awakens something ugly and protective in me.
But before I can push for more details, for him to tell me what he means, her voice floats from the front door. “Hey, Drew? Was that your dad’s car backing out of the driveway?”
Shit.
When she rounds the corner, my chest tightens. God, she’s stunning. The turquoise dress she’s wearing hugs her in all the right places, the soft fabric catching the light. Stray curls have fallen loose from her messy bun, framing her face in a way that makes my throat go dry.
