Cease Fire (Blackbridge Security 9)

I feel my chest collapse.

Walter clears his throat, and Marjorie looks like she’s eaten something rotten with the way her face begins to contort. I’ve never seen her so disgusted in all my life.

“Beth and Spencer, can we have a few minutes alone with Jules?” Marjorie asks.

Beth crosses her arms over her chest, leaning back further into her spot on the love seat. Spencer must know his wife very well, because he doesn’t make a move to get up either.

“Absolutely not. If you have something to say to my best friend, you can say it in front of me.”

“This isn’t something we want you to hear,” Walter argues.

“Same goes.”

A stare down happens right in front of my eyes; father and daughter glare at each other until Walter looks away.

“Stubborn ass,” he huffs.

“Come by it genetically,” Beth quips.

“I did the same thing to Walter,” Marjorie spits out.

You could hear a pin drop in the room.

“What. The. Actual. Fuck?” Beth says.

Marjorie shrugs at her daughter’s indignation. A slow smile spreads across Walter’s face.

“Don’t look at me like that. Times were different back then,” Marjorie says.

“In the nineteen eighties? Get real, Mom, stop making it sound like the eighteen hundreds.”

“I grew up extremely poor. Walter’s family was rich,” Marjorie continues. “I wanted to be taken care of, but let me say, dear, if you wanted money, we would’ve helped you. It’s difficult to raise a child when you aren’t financially secure. I know Kit will take care of you though. That man has loved you for as long as I can remember.”

“I’m not—I didn’t do it to trap him. I just wanted a baby.”

“Was this the plan the entire time you were taking fertility drugs?” Beth asks.

I shake my head. “No, but the longer I thought about having a stranger’s baby, the more I knew I couldn’t go through with it. Kit didn’t know, and I violated him. I used his crush on me to get what I wanted.”

“Oh sweetheart,” Marjorie says, patting my hand again and making me realize she’s never released it sitting down. “He doesn’t have a crush on you.”

“He also found out after the dinner on Sunday that I did it on purpose. He hates me now.”

“He doesn’t,” Beth argues. “He’s just mad.”

“He threatened to take the baby away from me.”

“He didn’t,” Walter says, his face a mask of anger. “I’ll set his ass straight.”

I hold up my hand. “Kit has done nothing wrong, but I can accept his hatred.” I look back at Beth. “Will you hate me forever?”

Her eyes start to brim with tears. “Jules, I could never hate you. You’re my best friend. You’re carrying my niece or nephew. I’m not going to say it’s okay the way you went about it, but I’d never hate you.”

She stands from the couch, crossing the room to wrap her arms around me.

If only her brother was as forgiving.

Chapter 31

Kit

I never imagined that the thought of going to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner would cause me pain.

Even returning home from the military knowing Jules would be right in the middle of it all, I was elated. I had to keep my distance, had to make sure she couldn’t hurt me the way she did the night I kissed her.

I longed for her then, even if it was just seeing her smiling face.

Today? I want to run away even as I pull up to the house and don’t see her car. I want to call my parents and tell them that business will be keeping me away today.

Before I can pull my phone out, the curtains in the house shift, and I know it locks me into the meal. I hate lying to anyone in my family, and I’ve never been one to do it. I’ve been lying to them for weeks and weeks, and from the looks of it, I’ll continue to do so.

I gave Jules an ultimatum. She had two days to speak her truth, or I was going to bring it to light myself. I’ve heard nothing. There have been no texts from her confirming she was mature enough to confess her lies. I’ve gotten no phone calls or texts regarding the situation, no contact with elation or disappointment.

She hasn’t told them anything, and I struggle with following through with my end of the threat. I’m hurting, filled with so much pain and disappointment, I can hardly function.

But I won’t spill her truth. At least not yet. I know the hurt and betrayal will build again, and eventually I’ll just blurt out the truth, but I doubt today is that day.

If she stays away, then her secret will be safe just a little while longer.

I take deep breaths as I park, trying to get my shit together to face everyone I love. Not being my normal jovial self will only bring suspicion. Calming my nerves takes longer than it ever should, and I’m forced to leave my truck when the front door opens.