Page 66 of Take My Kiss
“They were in pain, but that’s no way to treat their own child. They weren’t the only ones who lost someone. The real blame is on the driver.”
“They didn’t care much for how I was feelin’ or the guilt that consumed me. I know it’s my fault, and they had every right to be upset with me. But Samuel wasn’t the only one I lost that night. My parents, my home that no longer felt like a home, and the whole future I had planned. It’s why I started drinkin’ tea so much. I needed somethin’ to help regulate my nervous system so I could sleep. I didn’t drink alcohol for years after that and now only during special occasions.”
The night of Wilder’s wedding, she only had a couple glasses, so that makes sense.
“What happened to the drunk driver?”
“He died in the hospital a couple days later, so my parents didn’t have anyone else to point their fingers at except me. No closure beyond havin’ to bury their only son.”
“Many times, hurt people hurt people, and it’s not a reflection of you, but of them. I can’t imagine what they went through or how it feels to lose a child, but I also can’t imagine abandoning the one I had left. It’s inexcusable. You didn’t deserve that.”
“Yeah, well…” She shrugs, averting her gaze. “Not sure if I can face ’em after this.”
“What happened with Sam also ain’t your fault. You know that, right? Mishaps happen.”
“One that could’ve led to another lifetime of consequences,” she says. “He could’ve gotten hurt, drowned, lost, or kidnapped. I’m lucky a nice couple found him and not the stalker who’s after him. Wilder and Maddox still haven’t found him, so who’s to say he’s not in the area?”
Her mind’s spiraling, and although I understand her concern, I can’t let her go down that road again.
Leaning over the counter, I grab her hand and thread my fingers through hers. “They’re gonna find him. And if he is somehow here, he’ll have to go through me and every single one of my siblings before he gets near you or the kids. Remy, too.”
Her lips twitch at the mention of the dog. He hasn’t left the kids’ sides since we got back.
“Maybe seein’ my father one last time will help me close the chapter on my past and distract me from what’s goin’ on right now. My parents live in a gated community, so it’s private and secure, at least.”
“Might be a good idea,” I agree. “And who knows, maybe they’ve changed.”
“Pfft.” She blows out a distressed breath. “From the way my mother spoke this mornin’, I’m not holdin’ out hope that she’s suddenly become pleasant.”
“Do you still want me to go with you?”
“Do you still wanna go with me?”
“Of course, whatever you need.”
She nods. “Okay. Yeah, maybe. I need to sleep on it.”
“Take as much time as you need. I’ll be brushin’ up on my husbandly duties in the meantime.” I smirk, hoping it makes her laugh, and it does.
“If that’s the route we’re takin’, then you need to know a lot more ’bout me and vice versa.”
“Great, let’s play twenty questions since we’ve got time.” I lean my elbows on the counter, relaxing my body across from hers. “You start.”
“First girlfriend’s name.”
“Like, first girl I dated or first serious relationship?”
Her shoulders slump. “Whichever you consider your first girlfriend.”
“Okay, then.” I scratch my jawline, thinking. “Her name was Emmy Johnston, and we were in fourth grade. That only lasted a few days until I pushed her down the slide and she broke her arm.”
Amelia’s eyes widen. “Oh God. You were a terror as a child, weren’t you?”
“I mean…” I shrug because I can’t even deny it. “But then there was Sabrina, my sixth-grade girlfriend, but she moved away over the summer, and we never broke up. So technically, we’ve been together for like twenty years.”
“Wow…who knew you were a long-term relationship guy. She should know you cheated on her last year, though.”
“Nah, I think she’d be okay with it since she has like five kids. I’m almost positive none of them are mine.”
