Chapter Fourteen
Sophia
Brett was tense beside me, shooting Mark a death glare that would’ve had me organizing a funeral if looks really were able to kill. Mark’s own glare wasn’t far behind Brett’s, however.
Mark snorted and scoffed. “That was a shitty thing to do? Are you kidding me? You slept with my sister and then you got her pregnant!”
“Yeah, thanks. I got that memo, and I’m taking full responsibility for that, but at least I never deliberately hurt her,” Brett said as calmly as he could manage. I could see that he was fighting for control.
“Gee, that’s great,” Mark said sarcastically. “You saved all the deliberate hurt for me then.”
I glanced toward my parents, frozen in the doorway as the guys went at it.
My dad watched on with a kind of resigned expression on his face, like a let them get it over and done with kind of look. Mom’s eyes were wide, but she was no stranger to seeing Mark in a fight. It just wasn’t usually with Brett.
Since the very first day they met, those two had fought side by side. I didn’t like seeing them facing off against each other. It was unnatural, wrong.
“Stop it, you guys,” I said, quietly but firmly.
Mark grunted and turned his anger on me. “What? Now you suddenly want to talk? After how long of lying right to my face? You had plenty of time to talk to me, don’t think—”
“You will not speak to her like that,” Brett seethed, taking a step toward Mark. I held his hand, giving it a squeeze, and he came back to my side.
“I will speak to my sister however the fuck I want. She’s been my sister all my life. She’s only been your baby-mama for what? Twenty-four hours? You have no right—”
“Fuck if I don’t have the right,” Brett said, but I cut him off before he could continue.
“That’s enough. Both of you. This isn’t helping anyone with anything. You’re only causing a scene. Let’s go inside and talk like the adults we’re supposed to be.”
It wasn’t often that I sounded authoritative, but in that moment, I did. And I was damn proud of myself. I gave them each a long look, then turned on my heel to do what I came here to do.
Brett didn’t let go of my hand, turning his back on Mark and walking up the steps of the front porch with me. My parents looked at our joined hands, then right at me.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for all of this to happen the way that it did,” I said, my voice shaky with tears that I hadn’t realized I was fighting back.
Mom’s eyes softened, and she pulled me into a tight hug. “We know, sweetheart. I can’t say that the news didn’t come as shock, but you’re right. Let’s go inside and talk.”
My mom’s hugs had always soothed my soul, and it had the exact same effect now. It felt like balm spread over the pain of Mark’s stinging words and my guilt about not having been the one to tell them.
Dad gave me a hug, too, but didn’t say anything. His eyes were on Brett the entire time. Eventually, Brett stuck his hand out to my dad. “Mr. Love.”
For a long second, I thought that my dad was going to ignore his hand, but he glanced at me, sighed, and shook it. “Brett. Come inside. You too, Mark.”
Mark huffed behind me, but we all followed my parents inside. No one said a word until we were settled in my parents living room, glasses of iced water sweating on their coffee table. Brett was sitting close by my side on the white love seat, while my parents sat in their usual pair of leather wingbacks by the unlit fireplace. Mark didn’t sit down, opting to lean against the wall beside my parents instead.
My mother was waiting for me to speak with kind eyes, while my father wore that same resigned expression from before, and Mark glowered at Brett.
“Floor’s yours, Soph,” my mom said. “Why don’t you tell us what happened?”
Mark snorted again. “It’s pretty obvious what happened. They—”
My dad silenced him with a look. “We’ve heard your thoughts on the matter. Give your sister a chance to talk.”
I cleared my throat and grabbed Brett’s hand to try and channel some of his strength. He gave his support willingly, unconditionally, and that, more than anything, gave me the courage to push forward. “Brett and I have been seeing each other for a little while. We know that it was wrong to hide it, but we knew Mark wouldn’t like it.”
Mark scoffed. “So, this is my fault now?”
“That’s not what she said, son,” my dad said. “Just let Sophie speak, please.”