“I …” The rest of my sentence fades as his eyes close and his breathing levels out.
So I whisper the words to the silent living room and pray the answer comes to me.
“I just don’t know what we will do from here.”
Chapter
Thirty
DUTTON
I wakeup on the couch, my head throbbing worse than ever before. My back aches just as much, but I still manage to push myself up to a seated position. There is water and some aspirin on the table in front of me, so I grab them and take them quickly.
Fuck.
I feel like shit.
Despite my intoxicated state, I remember everything. Fighting with Henry, him insulting Brooke, my siblings finding out about his cheating, him admitting to sleeping with Brooke’s mother, my attempt to drink the day away, coming home and telling Brooke everything.
My stomach turns as the memories flood back.
I stand slowly, making my way through the house. I start with the kitchen where I find a plate of my favorite cookies.
I wince. Brooke made time in her day yesterday to bake me something and I … well, I got drunk before I came home.
Guilt for my choices hits me hard, the way it always doeswhen I drink too much. I told her about Henry and her mom and then what—passed out? Some talk. Looks like my communication skills are top-notch when the moment counts.
Had I not gotten shit-faced, we could have had a real talk and I would know where we stand right now, but as of this moment, I don’t. I’ve checked our bedroom and outside for her car, so it’s clear that Brooke is not here.
Damn it.
I drop to the couch where I'd slept, scrubbing a hand down my face. My phone buzzes.
I snap my hand out to grab it, hoping it’s Brooke, but it’s Gavin. The time in the upper left corner tells me it’s past seven, so Brooke is probably just at work and I was too passed out to hear her leave.
We’ll talk tonight.
We have to, right?
I open the text from Gavin.
Gavin
If you're awake, you might want to head into work early.
I start to type out my reply, but my brother next sends me a picture of Henry talking to Terrance, the reporter, and they are clearly filming. Under that photo comes another one. It’s a picture of the broken thermostat again, followed by the log showing whose code was last used.
Henry Richford.
What the hell is he up to?
I enterthe lodge through the back entrance because I don’t want Terrance or Henry to spot me before I’ve had a chance tomake a game plan with Grace and Gavin. I acknowledge a couple of employees as I pass them and then slide into Grace's office. Gavin is already here.
I close the door.
“How early do you two come in?” I ask.
Sure, it’s not the question I want to be asking, but fuck, they had to be here early to see what was already happening.
