I spy Calli, as she’s easy to see. But Joel isn’t with her.
“Wait here a moment and I’ll say my goodbyes and then I’ll take you home.”
I nod, relieved he doesn’t expect me to make the rounds with him. Then just as I do, he sees it too. Joel and Rhett appear like they are ready to go to war and Craig rushes out of the room.
Chapter Nineteen
Joel
My father’s glacial stare doesn’t frighten me like it had when I was a child. I ignore him and grab Rhett’s arm.
“We need to talk.”
He shakes me off and dusts his arm like I’m dirty.
“About what?” he snarls and glares at Calli. “If it’s about her, don’t waste your breath.”
“Boys,” Mom says. “Take it inside.”
She eyes the partygoers and their watchful stares.
Not wanting to embarrass her further, I walk off but not toward the house where Olivia went. The glare I aim at my brother is a dare for him not to follow.
Once we’re a respectable distance away from the crowd, I say, “Give me a minute,” to Calli.
I keep going a few more yards, putting enough distance between us and Calli to speak to the brother I haven’t spoken to in years, not directly anyway.
“You need to do something,” I say, not feeling at all charitable.
“Do what?” Rhett asks, like he’s ready to blow me off.
I lower my voice and say, “You need to get your son.”
“My son?” he asks, brow lifted in surprise. “You need to turn that around. He’s yours and you’ve been taking care of him.”
I get in his face and speak lower so Calli doesn’t hear. “I took care of him because you didn’t. Someone had to.”
“And everyone knows who that someone is. His son is his spitting image.”
I can’t deny Aaron’s resemblance to me, but I also know the truth.
“You’re the one that fucked her that night, not me.”
Rhett laughs maliciously. “Everyone fucked her. You, little brother, were the only one who didn’t know it. I did you a favor that night.”
I ball my fist, wanting so badly to punch him in his smug face.
“If you don’t want to take responsibility, fine. I’m sure we share enough DNA that a test won’t be able to rule me out as the father. But right now, I need you to get him from Calli’s mother. She’s not going to hand him over to me.”
He shakes his head. “Once again, Calli’s playing you like she always has. She plays that damsel in distress card and you fall for it every time.”
“This isn’t a game,” I say.
“Isn’t it? Has she ever told you I’d already fucked her before she ever met you?”
It hits me like a sucker punch. Though I want to, I don’t turn to look at Calli.
“It doesn’t matter,” I say.
“Doesn’t it? She used you to get back at me and she’s still doing it.”
I would be lying if I said that doesn’t cut a little deep.
“This isn’t about her. It’s about Aaron.”
“And you need to let that go. She hasn’t filed a case against either of us in court. Doesn’t that tell you something?”
I can’t deny that hasn’t crossed my mind.
“But this isn’t about her, is it, little brother?”
Between the two of us, I’m slightly taller. So when he steps closer, he has to look up at me.
“This is about Olivia.” I’m shocked into silence for a second and he catches it with a little nod. “Yeah, I caught the shade you were throwing Craig. Has he been playing in your sandbox? Is Olivia another Calli?”
Though I respect Calli, she’s no angel. She’s done things like cheat on me, with my brother, and others if Rhett is to be believed. But Olivia is innocent. He’s crossed a line that flips a switch inside me.
My arm is back and moving forward before I can think about what I’m doing. I catch Rhett off guard and clock him in his jaw. He stumbles back and I’m on him, wailing on him like it’s a title fight.
Distantly, I hear screaming, someone begging me to stop. But I’m on autopilot. All my frustrations finally getting playing time.
At some point, I’m dragged off my bloody brother. He got in a few hits, as my ribs and sides are sore.
I push off Craig who came out of nowhere. That’s when I notice the silence. It only takes a glance to see that our matchup has become the main attraction.
Calli is on the ground next to Rhett soothing him. It’s further evidence that there is truth to my brother’s words. I head to the house to clean my bloody hands.
When I leave the bathroom, I realize Rhett will need to clean up too. I head upstairs and am surprised as I pass my father’s office to find Olivia studying the books on one of the many shelves.