The fucking audacity of this woman. Hell, the damn audacity of this damn town. I didn’t ask for any of this shit.
Meeting her shocked stare, I smirk, then turn and storm from the room, only to be grabbed into Wyatt’s waiting arms.
“Fucking brilliant, Love,” he says, leaning in, crashing his mouth to mine.
Well shit. If being a smartass gets me this. I’m going to have to do it more often.
26
ARIAH
“I’m so glad to be going home,” my dad says from the other side of the car.
Thomas and I went to pick him up almost two hours ago. He was finally discharged fifteen minutes ago.
“I can’t wait for you to spend more time with Jamie and the twins. They’re so excited for you to be coming home,” I exclaim.
His smile lights his face, lines appearing as he crinkles his eyes. “I’m glad to be back. I wish it were under better circumstances,” he mumbles the last part. The happiness that was glinting moments ago dims. The long look lasts a few seconds before he quirks his lip and smiles again.
My frustration with everything that’s happened grows, and my anger at Elise boils. All the questions I’ve had about her behavior over the years resurface.
“Hey,” my dad interrupts. “Don’t go there, at least not today,” he coaxes just as Thomas turns into the driveway.
He laughs, and I know he can see the ridiculous hand-painted welcome sign we made for him.
I look out the window and confirm that to be the case, but it’s the jumping twins, dressed in their superhero costumes, that make me join him.
“Those two are ridiculous,” I chuckle.
“Quite the pair, I imagine,” he begins. I feel him tap my arm to get my attention, and I turn as he continues, “I want to say this again. Thank you so much for being what your mo- Elise and I couldn’t be, Ry.”
I shake my head, “You don’t need to keep thanking me. I did what needed to be done. If you want to do anything for me, tell me what you couldn’t when you were at the Edgewoods’. What don’t I know?”
After everything that happened, I needed answers, and he owed them to me.
“Let me get situated, and once you brothers and sister go to bed tonight, we’ll talk,” he suggests.
I nod as we pull to a stop. It was fair enough.
Much like the night I returned, the car door is ripped open, and two mini-terrors dive into the car, causing dad to groan out in both shock and pain.
“Hey, you two, take it easy. Remember what we talked about,” I instruct.
Kylan and Kellan pull back, their tiny identical faces scrunching up in remorse. “Sorry,” they say in unison.
“I’ve missed that,” dad chuckles. “The twinning thing you two do,” he clarifies, and we all laugh.
Once we’re in the house, Tabitha greets us, and her eyes begin to water, but she quickly brushes away the tear before it can fall. “You’re home, Mr. Bishop,” she croaks.
What is that about?I look back to see if Dad’s expression will give anything away, but before I completely turn, his words shock me still.
“Mom,” he gasps. “What-what are you doing here?” Dad asks.
Mom?
My gaze swings back and forth between the both of them.
“Aaron,” she cries, running for him, but slowing so as not to hurt him before wrapping her arms around him.
