Rhys tightens his grip on me. “It’s okay,” he murmurs.
Trying to be that family for me while Decker turns the darkest, most outraged glare I’ve ever seen on the man who was his good friend five minutes ago.
I’m breaking them apart.
I’m causing collateral damage.
I’m doing all of the things I never wanted to do.
“So you lied because, what? You thought we’d want money?” Decker says.
Rhys growls softly.
“No, because—” I start.
“Because you’re spying on the retreat center so you can build your own?” Jack says.
“No.”
“Because it’s fun to dick around with nobodies?” Lucky says.
That one hurts. “You aren’t a nobody. You’re—you’re moresomebodiesthan my parents will ever be.”
“Hey, guys, I found Margie’s phone,” Mr. Sullivan says. “Whoa. This feels heavy. Everything okay?”
Fuuuuuuuck.
My eyes burn more, and the tears come faster.
He’s going to hurt.
He’s going to hurt hard when he deserves nothing but happiness for the man he’s been.
“Good fucking thing you’re already at your car,” Decker mutters.
Mr. Sullivan’s brow furrows as he looks at his wife. “Sweetie? What’s wrong? Did someone—did someone die?”
The triplets share one of their classic silent communication looks.
“We need to go home and have a talk,” Decker finally says.
“Probably need to return a few phones first,” Rhys mutters.
Decker flips him off, then looks at me. “And you—you need to fucking go home too. And I don’t mean to my cabin. You can get the fuck out of there, or we’ll have the sheriff remove you.”
“I don’t—I’m not—I won’t—” I can’t find the right words.
I’ve been rehearsing what I’ll say in my head all week, and now, under the glare of three men who’ve come to represent family to me, none of it is adequate.
I can’t sayI’m sorry.
It’s not enough. It will never be enough.
Because I’m sorry for so much more than lying to them.
I’m sorry we share genes because of a terrible human being. I’m sorry that they found out because they jokingly took a DNA test to make sure they were related to each other, which is so classically funny and perfectlythem. I’m sorry that their family—theirrealfamily, the family that’s been there for them from birth through childhood and young adulthood and through their lives until now—will hurt because of the lies.
Possibly for years to come.
