“Tell me,” Braxton continues relentlessly. “Did you come running from Minnesota because his wife found out?”
Paisley doesn’t answer, her chin dropping to her chest, her hair hiding her expression. Nick shakes his head. “I’m not on your side,” he murmurs with disappointment. “And if you don’t understand why, there’s no coming back from this.” He looks at his mother. “For any of us.”
“Nick…” Esther whispers.
“Go home, Mom,” he tells her tiredly. “Both of you.”
Paisley spins on her heel, stomping from the bar. Esther hesitates, but then scurries after her. Benson watches them go before he tips his chin at the bartender and stomps off, disappearing into his office.
Braxton shrugs off his dad’s hold, closing the distance between us. “Are you okay, Gracie? I’m sorry that—” He cuts himself off when a laugh bursts out of me. I slap my hands over my mouth, trying to stop it, but it keepscoming, getting louder and more unhinged until I’m bent over at the waist, tears escaping my eyes.
Bridget chuckles beside me. “I feel like I’m in a daytime soap,” she mutters. “What the hell just happened?”
Raewyn pushes Braxton out of the way, reaching for my hands. “Are you okay, sweetheart? That was—” She throws a disgusted look at the door. “I can’t believe their nerve.”
“Our Gracie’s fine,” Stephen murmurs, giving me an appraising look that warms me to my soul. “She’s stronger than those vipers.”
I smile at him. “Thanks, Stephen.” I look around the small crowd gathered, seeing the show of support that they meant it to be. “I’msofine. Paisley doesn’t mean anything to me, and her words mean even less.”
Nick lets out a soul-weary sigh. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly, mouth turned down. “They never should have?—
Raewyn whirls on him. “Donotapologize for them. They might be your family, but they are not a reflection on you or your character, Nicholas.”
He stares at her, throat bobbing. “Yeah.” He nods once. “Thanks, Raewyn.” He glances around one more time, eyes lingering on me before he throws a thumb over his shoulder. “I’m gonna get out of here, though. I need to speak to my dad.”
Braxton watches his friend with concern. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
Nick shrugs. “I have no clue, but we’ll find out.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I think he also needs to hear the truth, not whatever poison those two are going to spill.”
Stephen pats Nick on the shoulder. “You know where to find us if you need anything.”
“Thank you.” He tips his chin, and then he’s gone.Sympathy wells in my chest, knowing the pain of having a terrible family, and hating that Nick’s facing this on his own.
“Gracie,” Braxton says quietly. “You want to go get some air?”
There’s meaning in his voice, and Raewyn looks between us before turning to Stephen. “I saw Monroe over in the corner. Let’s go have a drink with him.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Stephen jokes, and Raewyn rolls her eyes as they walk away.
Bridget links her arm with Nolan’s, clinking their glasses together. “Don’t worry about us,” she says cheerfully. “Nolan’s promised to give me the lowdown onhisdramatic family. It’s important because, you know…My family is dead, so I need to get my drama fix from somewhere.”
Nolan shakes his head. “Most people watch television or read a book.”
“Yeah, well…” The rest of her words are lost as she leads him back to our table. I turn to face Braxton, who hasn’t taken his eyes off mine.
He holds a hand out. “Shall we?”
I give him a small smile. “Okay.”
CHAPTER 34
Braxton
Gracie brushes past as I hold the door open for her, her scent filling my lungs—vanilla and jasmine. Her arm brushes my middle, and it feels like I’ve stuck my finger in a power socket, electricity sizzling through my veins.
I step outside after her, the frigid night air caressing my cheeks but doing nothing to cool me down. My mind is a whirlwind of chaos, full of disbelief at what Paisley and Esther had the guts to do—like any of this is Gracie’s fault when she was the one most hurt by my actions.
And Paisley’s.
