Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. “I don’t know what to do,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. “I love him, Stacey. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. But I think I’ve ruined everything.”
“Maybe,” she agreed, and the blunt honesty was oddly comforting. “But maybe not. That’s why you texted me, isn’t it? You want my help.”
I nodded, unable to trust my voice.
“What exactly do you want from me, Kent?” she asked. “My blessing? My advice?”
“Both,” I admitted. “And... I need to know if there’s any chance he might forgive me. You know him better than anyone.”
Stacey sighed, releasing my hand to take a sip of her now-lukewarm coffee. “James has always had a big heart. Too big, sometimes. He forgives people who don’t deserve it.” Her eyes met mine, sharp and assessing. “He forgave you for years of bullying, didn’t he?”
The reminder stung, but it was nothing less than the truth. “Yes,” I whispered.
“But this is different,” she continued. “You didn’t just hurt him. You betrayed his trust. That’s much harder to come back from.”
My heart sank. “So, you think it’s hopeless?”
“I didn’t say that.” She tapped her fingers against the table, thinking. “James loves deeply when he loves. And from what you’ve told me, he was in pretty in love with you too.”
Hope flickered in my chest, fragile but persistent. “So, what should I do?”
“First, you have my blessing,” she said. “You and him are no longer stepbrothers. And to be honest, I never really considered you two as brothers to begin with. You were too old and too set in your ways to even be friends, much less family to each other.”
The relief hit me so hard I almost collapsed in my chair. “Really? You’re okay with this?”
“Kent, you’re both consenting adults. And like I said, I never saw you as brothers. You were my husband’s son who tormented my boy. That was it.” She gave me a pointed look. “Though I would’ve appreciated if you’d told me right away instead of that awkward morning with Brittany.”
I winced. “I know. I’m sorry. I just... I was scared.”
“Of what people would think? Or of what you were feeling?”
“Both,” I admitted. “I spent so long being someone else. Someone my father would approve of. The thought of disappointing him, of being different...” I trailed off, shaking my head. “But now I realize the only person I’ve been disappointing is myself. And James.”
Stacey’s expression softened. “Your father’s opinions aren’t worth sacrificing your happiness for, Kent. Trust me on that.”
“I know that now.” I ran a hand through my hair. “So, what do I do? How do I fix this?”
She considered me for a long moment. “You need to show James that you’re serious. That this isn’t just another panic moment where you’ll run at the first sign of trouble.”
“How do I do that?”
“You need to be willing to be honest. With everyone.” She leaned forward. “Starting with your father.”
My stomach dropped. “My dad? He’ll disown me.”
“Maybe,” she nodded. “Probably, even. But James needs to know that you’re choosing him over everything else. That you’re not ashamed of loving him.”
I absorbed her words, the truth of them sinking in. “You’re right. I have to show him I’m all in this time.”
“And Kent?” Stacey’s voice was gentler now. “You need to be patient. James might not forgive you right away. He might not forgive you at all. You have to be prepared for that possibility.”
“I know,” I said quietly. “But I have to try.”
She reached across the table and squeezed my hand again. “For what it’s worth, I think you’ve changed. The Kent I knew a few years ago wouldn’t have been sitting here having this conversation with me.”
I smiled weakly. “Thanks, Stacey.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she warned. “I’m still processing all this myself. And if you hurt my son again, I willpersonallymake your life a living hell.”
