“Hello!” Sadie yells.
Jeez, I forgot I put her on mute.
“Sorry,” I squeak, all breathless.
Jack laughs sardonically, knowing the effect he has on me while he looks cool, calm, and collected—even with a raging hard-on tenting his sweatpants.
I take a deep breath in.
Calm the fuck down, Annabelle.
God, all I’m thinking about is climbing in his lap and letting him do exactly what he wants with me.
Jack lets go of my ankle, grabs my phone, and smiles at his sister like everything is normal.
Nothing is normal.
Luckily, though, over the next hour, we’re easily distracted, talking to the girls before bedtime and listening to Sadie prattle off details of this weekend as if we haven’t been part of the planning all along.
Jack tenses below my feet, and I turn a questioning look toward him.
Sadie must realize it too. “What’s wrong?” she calls, panicking at his stricken face.
He silently hands me his phone, and my stomach drops when I read the texts.
“Mum fell,” I say, reading Theo’s messages.
I can’t believe it. She was doing so well.
“Oh my god, Belle, is she okay? I’ll have Wills call for the jet. We’ll be there first thing, and then you can leave in the morning. There might even be a late train you can catch now if you wanted.”
“I-I…” I feel uneasy, not sure what I should do. Theo says to stay here and he’ll take care of it, but I should tend to my mum. “Okay, yeah… I’ll go in the morning.”
Jack shakes his head, then takes his phone back, typing away. “I’m talking to Theo and Oliver. You’re going to stay and enjoy yourself. She’s already leaving the hospital; there’s nothing you can do now.”
“Jack,” I caution lightly. He just doesn’t understand.
Wait, did he sayOliver?
Oliver, my youngest brother, is typically MIA, so I’m surprised he was there to help.
“I get it, B, but your brothers have it. They aren’t kids anymore; let them take the responsibility for once. It can’t always be you and Matthew. If they say it’s bad tomorrow, or you feel like your mom needs you after you call her, I’ll get us home to her as fast as I can.”
I nod, mollified for now.
He’s right. If it’s just a fall, she should be okay.
“She’s drinking again?” Sadie whispers hesitantly.
It’s not something I want to admit, but Sadie understands my mum’s heartache and that I’ll never blame her for the path she took, knowing all the pain she has been through.
She truly loved my dad. She often said he was the other part of her soul.
“She hasn’t in a long time. She’s been coming to yoga with me and even on runs in the park. It took her longer than she would’ve liked to get her life together, but she’s been truly happy lately.”Until today. “Theo said they were out to lunch and my dad walked right by the table… with my aunt. I guess we finally got our answer after all these years that they stayed together. I can’t blame her. Can you imagine what she was feeling?” God, my poor mum. “You know, Theo was the one that took her drinking the hardest. He said he didn’t even try to stop her. Almost wanted to join her.”
Sadie’s eyes go wide, covering her mouth to hide her shock. “Did your dad see your mom?”
“Theo said he was positive they both did. I’m more shocked that he stood by my mum’s side and didn’t cause a scene. You know what a hothead he can be. He’s worse than this bloke’s been—” I motion to Jack but he ignores me, still talking to my brothers on his phone.
