“My brother Will. The criminal.”
“Don’t talk about him like that—” I defend, and she makes a sound that would be a laugh if it wasn’t so angry.
“How long have you two been— Was this going on while we were together?”
I shake my head, even though, looking back, maybe something has been there longer than I would like to admit. “Of course not, Jess. I didn’t even realize I felt this way about him until a few months ago.”
She pinches the bridge of her nose, looking at her parents, who have been silent this whole time, taking everything in. She looks at me and Will and then back to me, her eyes narrowed. “So let me get this straight. You, my husband, are in love with my brother?”
It’s my first instinct to deny it.
But I remember Will outside, crying because I hurt him, because I practically forced him into this whole thing, and when he finally tried to let me in, I threw it back in his face.
And I can’t.
“Yeah,” I say, my eyes drifting over to where he’s standing, an open expression on his face that turns into a small smile. “I am.”
Joyce gasps, and Frank grumbles beside her about needing a beer.
I can’t tell what’s going through Jess’s head by the look on her face, but whatever it is, she can’t accept this tonight, and I can’t say I blame her.
I find Ollie asleep on the floor in the middle of his toys, not that I’m surprised. It’s past his bedtime, and today was a lot, even for the adults. I get him into bed and turn out the light, leaving his door open a crack before I knock on Addie’s.
“Come in.”
She’s sitting on her bed again, her sketchbook open in front of her, but even after her appointment and all the drama of the day, she looks more like herself than she has in weeks.
“Where is everyone?” she asks.
“Your grandparents left. Mom went with them.” I sit on the edge of her bed.
“Was she mad?”
“What do you think?”
Addie nods, keeping a serious expression for about two seconds before a smile breaks across her face and she bouncesin her seat. “Okay, I know this is serious,” she says, with a laugh. “But I think it’s pulled me out of my depression.”
I look at her with a flat expression, even though right now, if my awkward moments make her smile, I’ll take it. “Has it?”
“Dad.” She grabs my arm, shaking it. “You kissed Uncle Will in the snow. In front of the entire family. It was so romantic! I have to tell Emmett,” she says, grabbing her phone.
The laughter fades as she puts her phone back down, a frown tugging at her lips. “Back to depressed Addie.”
I open my arm, and she leans forward into a low-effort hug. With the house quiet around us for the first time today, I almost tell her about my talk with Emmett before she speaks up.
“Dad?”
“Hm?”
“I always thought Uncle Will liked you.”
I walk downstairs expecting the living room to be empty. To be alone with my thoughts and the knowledge that I ruined what Will and I had before it even started.
Instead, he’s in the kitchen, the same as that morning, but this time, his arms are crossed, his jaw is clenched, and he doesn’t look at me.
But he’s still here.
I cross the room to reach for him, stopping halfway. He kissed me outside, but that obviously didn’t fix anything.
