Years of pent up uncertainty release like a dam bursting as Julien starts to sob on Jayson’s shoulder, his arms convulsively tightening around his brother’s back. The scene before me is so earth-shattering, so real and emotional, I openly sob with them. Jayson reaches out to Elijah who’s been sitting silently and pulls him up to join him and Julien in the embrace.
For several minutes, I watch them cry and hug. Jayson is the first to let go. He takes Elijah’s arm. “Thank you for loving my brother, E.”
“That’s the easy part,” Elijah replies.
“Have you told Mom and Dad?”
“No.” Julien wipes his face on his shirt. “Would you mind being here with me when they get home tonight?”
“It would be my absolute honor, Jules.” Jayson embraces Julien again for one strong hug.
“I can stay too, Julien, if you want me to,” I speak from my corner of the room.
Jayson turns indignant eyes at me. “No. You need to leave, Liz.”
“Jay, she can stay. She has every right to stay. She’s been there for me and E – has supported us the entire time. We wouldn’t know what to do without her.”
Jayson’s face morphs into anger once again. “Basically, what you’re confirming is that my girlfriend has been lying to me for years.”
“No, it’s not like that Jayson. I never lied to you. It wasn’t my story to tell. I couldn’t tell you without breaking Julien’s trust.”
“But I’m your fucking boyfriend, Liz! The one person you’re supposed to love andtrustmore than anyone else! How could you keep a secret like this from me? Frommedammit! It should have been me he came to first. Me he talked to first. Not you!” he yells.
“Jay. She’s right. It wasn’t her secret to tell. It was mine. And the fact I told her first shouldn’t be a factor of consideration. She was there for me when I needed her.”
Jayson shakes his head back and forth, his dark chocolate locks falling into his eyes. “No. All I see in front of me is someone who has lied to my face for years.” He points to me. “I can understand why Jules was afraid to tell me, but what I don’t understand is why you locked me out and kept it from me. How many opportunities did you have, Liz, to tell me to talk to my brother? That there was something going on with him and he needed me? He needed me too, Liz, and you took that away from me. You stole that chance from me. You stole years of me being there for him, supporting him.” Jayson makes a strangled sound and sits back down looking defeated. “Get out, Liz. I can’t look at you right now. I can’t speak to you right now. Just get out. I want to be alone with Julien before our parents get home and I don’t want you here.”
“Jayson, please. Please. I love you. I never lied to you.” I try to reach for him again and he stands up and backs away from me.
“Get out! Now!” he shouts.
My face crumbles. I grab my purse and run out of the room, out of the house, and into my yard, tears making everything look blurry. I hear Julien and Elijah calling my name, but I don’t stop. Hailey must be home because our car is in the driveway even though the house looks dark, no lights turned on. Of fucking course she’s home now after ghosting me all day when I tried to find and talk to her. Dealing with Hailey will have to wait.
I run over and unlock the car door. I turn the ignition and wipe the tears from my eyes because I can’t see well enough to drive. I don’t understand Jayson’s anger at me. Doesn’t he get that I couldn’t say anything to him without betraying Julien and breaking my word? I never lied to him. Did I? Fucking fantastic. He has me second guessing myself now. Well, fuck him. I did the right thing. I won’t apologize for it. Jayson has kept things from me thinking that it’s for my own protection. I mean, look at what I found out today about Jacinda. He’s a hypocrite. He’s lied by omission to me several times. And instead of talking to me tonight, he kicked me out of his house. He yelled at me. Well, fuck him. My mental tirade has me shaking and incensed. I wipe away more tears from my eyes once more and put the car into reverse.
Julien runs to the side of the car and pulls on the handle to open the door only to find it locked. His voice is muffled through the rolled-up window. “Liz, come back inside. He didn’t mean what he said. Please come back in with me.”
“I’m sorry, Julien. He doesn’t want or need me around him right now. I love you. I’m so proud of you for telling him tonight. It’s good he knows. Go back inside and be with him.”
“Liz, wait,” but I’m already backing down the driveway.
After driving around aimlessly for an hour, I find myself parked and staring at Randy’s garage. The bay doors are down but I can hear noises and music coming from inside. I open my car door. It’s late enough that the business should be closed, but I see Randy sitting inside at the counter typing at the computer. I knock on the glass door and he looks up, a smile splitting his face when he sees it’s me.
Randy walks over and unlocks the door for me enter. The smell of oil and rubber hits my nose. “Well, hey there, Elizabeth. What brings you by tonight?” His smile falters when he notices my red, puffy eyes.
“Is Ryder around?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. He’s in the garage. Hold on a sec. Let me get him for you.”
A minute later, the music turns off and Ryder walks in with his dad, rag in his hands as he wipes the grease off of them. Randy says something to Ryder, then goes into his office and quietly closes the door.
“Good to see you’re alive. Julien and Elijah have been blowing up my phone the past hour.”
I nod, but don’t reply. Ryder throws the rag on the counter, his golden eyes giving me a thorough examination. “Come on. Let’s go in the back so we can talk in private.”
I follow him into the garage bay area. He pulls up a stool and offers it to me. I shake my head no and decline, needing to stretch my legs after being in the car for an hour. Ryder retrieves a bottled water out of the mini fridge at the back, twists the top off, and brings it to me. I take it gratefully because my throat is sore and parched from crying.
“Want to tell me what’s going on? I’m assuming that’s why you’re here.”
