“Kick me out?” My brows furrowed. “When? I don’t remember anything about that.”
“When you came out,” she replied, hanging her head once more. “I should’ve known what kind of person he was back then too. But I just… I thought I couldfixhim. I thought I could love him into being a better man.”
Christ did that sound familiar.
I moved to sit beside her, putting my arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me, and I could feel her trembling slightly.
“I didn’t know where else to go,” she admitted. “I couldn’t stay in that house another night. And I thought... I thought I should talk to Kent about his father, especially after he stood up for you.”
My blood went cold. “I told Kent you’re here. He should be home from work soon.”
“How is he doing?” she asked, looking up at me with red-rimmed eyes. “You two getting along okay?”
“Yeah, we’re doing fine,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “He’s been...differentlately. In a good way.”
Mom wiped at her eyes. “I’m glad to hear that. I was worried when he first moved in with you. You two never got along when you were younger.”
That was the understatement of the century. I shifted uncomfortably, wondering how much to share. “We’ve both grown up a lot since then. He’s actually been really supportive of my work.”
“That’s wonderful.” She smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m glad to hear he’s outgrown his father’s parenting. Still, I wish he and Brittany could patch things up. They always seemed so good together.”
I just nodded along, knowing I had no other choice. “Yeah. I guess so.” Taking a deep breath, I got to my feet, desperate for a different topic of conversation. “Well, I’m going to order dinner. I hope Thai is okay with you. Kent and I have a favorite place that we like and tonight doesn’t seem like a cooking night.”
“You don’t have to do that?—”
“Mom,” I said, cutting her off. “It’s the least I can do. Tonight I’m taking care of you.”
She nodded slowly. “Thank you, James.”
I smiled in reply and headed to the kitchen, my heart pounding in my chest. Suddenly the world felt like it was pressing in around me. My parents getting a divorce was unexpected, and I hated to see my mother hurting, but I couldn’t pretend I wasn’telated. If they got divorced, Kent would no longer be my stepbrother. And that was one lessmassiveobstacle to overcome.
I just hoped Kent would see it that way too. And maybe, once Mom was gone, I could finally admit that I loved him.
Chapter 25
Kent
Igot barely any sleep before my alarm woke me in the morning. Sharing a bed with James was difficult with his mom on the couch only a few feet away. All night I’d had to pretend that we weren’t close, that I didn’t want to touch him, and that the idea of sharing a bed with him was unappealing at best. But really, all I wanted to do was hug him, kiss him, and tell him he’d done an amazing job with his work. We were supposed to celebrate, not pretend to be indifferent toward one another.
But his mom wouldn’t be there long thankfully. And he was right to let her stay. I would’ve done the same thing. Still, I couldn’t help counting down the minutes until she’d leave so we could go back to normal.
I forced myself out of bed and into the bathroom for a shower. I shot a quick text to Derek, letting him know the situation and that I wouldn’t be coming into work today. He’d understand, I wasn’t worried about that. I just hoped I could hold it together until Stacey left.
When I finished my shower, I pulled on a fresh t-shirt and jeans, taking a deep breath before heading into the main room. Stacey was already up, folding the blanket she’d used on the couch. James was in the kitchen, making coffee with dark circlesunder his eyes that matched my own. I guess he hadn’t slept much either.
“Morning,” I said, trying to sound casual.
“Good morning, Kent,” Stacey replied with a warmth that made guilt twist in my stomach. She’d always been kind to me, even when I was a complete asshole to her son. “James is making breakfast. Hope you slept well?”
“Yeah, fine,” I lied, avoiding James’s eyes. “How about you? The couch isn’t exactly comfortable.”
“It was better than being in that house another night,” she said quietly.
James handed me a mug of coffee, our fingers brushing briefly. The small contact sent electricity up my arm, and I had to force myself not to react. It was torture having him so close but needing to act like we were just stepbrothers who tolerated each other at best.
“I made eggs and toast,” James said, gesturing to the kitchen counter. “Nothing fancy.”
“Sounds perfect,” Stacey said, taking a seat.
