I continue to scratch my nails over his scalp, and after a few minutes, I’m pretty sure he’s asleep.
I’ll sit here all night like this if I have to so that he can rest.
Whatever happened today was not good.
Look how much this man has been through! I just want it to go away. I want the world to see this caring and happy man wholoves his family fiercely and then leave him alone to live his life.
Life would be much better if his father passed the lodge on and then left Lovers for good.
“Books,” Dutton says, startling me. I was sure he was asleep.
“What is it?” I ask, smoothing my thumb over his cheek and hoping he can feel the encouragement through the gesture.
“One of the women…” His voice breaks again. “One of the women, … aw, fuck.” He sucks in another breath and looks away.
Jesus, who could it be?
Was Mrs. Buckley really in on it? Was she one of them? Or someone from the lodge? Someone who owns one of the places he vandalized? Did he apologize to someone who was really guilty?
“One of the women he cheated on my mom with was yours.”
I can feel the pain of every word that leaves his mouth.
But the pain that explodes through every vein inside of me is worse.
My heart races as every emotion hits me at once. Anger. Sadness. Frustration. Confusion.
It all makes sense now.
Why my father hates the Richfords so much.
Why his father never cared to get to know me.
Why my father always wanted me to stay away from Dutton’s family.
Because someone he loved left him for them.
And in his eyes, I’m doing exactly that.
I’m doing what my mother did.
I fell for a Richford.
“Talk to me,” Dutton says, pulling me back to reality. “Please, Books.”
“I …”
Words fail me.
“Do you want to leave?” he asks, but I swear his eyes beg me to say no.
“No.” While I’m confused, I don’t want to make the wrong choice.
“Do you hate me?” His eyes are fluttering, and he’s about to fall asleep again.
“No,” I tell him. “This is not your fault.”
And it’s very clear he just found out, because I have never seen him like this.
