“I-”
“Since apparently, I fuckingliveto make it all about you, since myonlypurpose in life is to existfor you…foryour needs…let me just add that me wanting to be selfish…wanting to keep something just for myself, something just about me, someonejust for memight’ve just cost me my entire fucking relationship. Not only the firstrealrelationship I think I’ve ever had, but the only one I’ve ever wanted to keep. And because I let…what we have…somehow become aboutyou –you know naturally–I may lose the person I’m helping raise a teen with, the person I’m selling my fucking house to live with, the person I plan to spend Christmas with, the person I’m going to Frosky’s wedding with, the person I wanna someday marry, the person who is.My. Person.”
Shock yet again cracks his jaw; however, the sound of knocking at the door prevents him from speaking.
Assuming he was going to.
The sight of Thayne’s face in the door is surprising and exciting and heartbreaking all at once.
God, how do I undo the damage I’ve done to him?
“I’m leaving,” he announces, although towhoisn’t fresh breath clear.
“You’re benched,” grunts my brother in displeasure. “You don’t get to bitch out and leave.”
“I wasn’t askin’,” Thayne firmly counters. “My family needs me, and Imma be there. Family always comes first.”
“What’s wrong?” Abandonning the position I’m in occurs without hesitation. “Who’s hurt? And how hurt? Is it Bronny? Dubs?”
“Grams.”
“Ohmygod,” I whisper out as I move in closer. “Do we need to leave like right now? Like right this very minute?”
“We-”
“We?!” M explodes from across the room. “There is no we!”
Thayne threatens to let his attention drift over that direction prompting me to step into his view path and repeat myself, “Doweneed to leave right this second?”
“Yeah.” His eyes stay with mine. “Dubs says she’s stable but for how long…is…” His shoulders defeatedly bounce. “We need to go.” He briefly presses his lips together and adjusts his gear bag. “I need to go.”
“You had it right the first time.” Hope saunters through his stare pushing me to add, pushing me not to make the same mistake twice, “Weneed to go.” The emotion spreads a little further. Deeper. “Let me tag in Sybil for the last period, tell Hennington that this matters more –you matter more– and meet you at home ASAP?”
There’s reluctance to his nodding.
But he does it.
“Swear you won’t leave without me?” Having him barely repeat the action is what prompts me to reach out for his hand and demand, “Swear to me the way only you can, Jukes.”
“I swear, Gillybean,” he quietly states. “All-4-One style.”
My teeth sink into my bottom lip to keep my sigh of relief trapped inside.
“You can’t leave,” M grumpily declares, warranting my attention over my shoulder. “You can’t just blow off your job for some Swiss cheese bud you’re banging.”
The dig at Thayne’s performance is not only uncalled for, it causes him to try to remove his hand from mine, obviously ashamed of how he believes he’s letting downhisteam.
His boys.
And they are!
Just as much if not more than they’re M’s.
“You’re right,” I assure after giving my boyfriend’s hand a loving squeeze. “I can’t, which is why I’m taking an emergency leave of absence from my career for the silky mitted stud I plan to spend forever with.”
Two completely different yet equally audible breaths hit my ears.
“You’re choosing him over your career?” airily croaks my brother. “Over everything you’ve worked so fucking hard for?”
