He holds up a hand. “Don’t, my head’s mashed enough as it is.”
I storm toward him. “Your head’s mashed? She needs help and you threw her out!”
“Can you blame me? All those articles in there fucked with my head and all I could think about were my kids.” He pauses as I get closer to him. “Her name isn’t even Amelia!”
“People change their name all the time! You read one of the real articles, you have your proof that she didn’t do anything wrong, so why are you still being hostile toward her?”
He shakes his head and lowers his voice as Harm appears at the front door. “I employed her to look after my kids and put a roof over her head for six years, Nate. I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you—which I’m also a little pissed about that you didn’t tell me—but you have to put it to the side and think of the bigger picture here.”
“As far as I’m concerned, she was the best thing to happen to you and those kids. Whether her name is Amelia or not is irrelevant, you know she looked after Izzie and Clay as if they were her own.”
Harm walks over and gives me an understanding look before she turns toward Tris. “I’m going to have to play devil’s advocate and agree with Nate. That woman clearly needs help. She’s still grieving for the loss of her child.” She pauses and makes sure she has all of his attention before saying, “People deal with grief in different ways and do stupid things sometimes.” Tris turns his head away from her at her meaning. “Amelia has never given you reason to doubt her before, you should listen to what she has to say before cutting her out of your life.”
I don’t know what to think right now, all I know is that the woman I love is in trouble and I’m just standing here doing nothing to help her. “I can’t sit by while there’s a psycho out there gunning for her. We need to do something.”
“I…” Tris shuffles his feet before blowing out a breath. “I can’t. I just can’t, Nate. I have a family to think about.”
I shake my head, walking into his house to collect everything the woman brought with her.
I scoop up the file and shove the papers inside, grabbing my cell Tris must’ve left on the counter and make my way to my SUV.
Tris and Harm are still standing outside as I walk out and before I climb into my car to go to Amelia’s so she can put the pieces of the puzzle together for me, I leave with the parting words, “She was your family once. You remember that.”
I’ve just found out the woman I love isn’t the person I thought she was.
His words spin around and around in my head like a merry-go-round. A lump the size of a baseball is stuck in my throat, and it doesn’t matter how many times I try to swallow it away, it won’t budge.
My hands grip the steering wheel tighter as I concentrate on the road ahead, blinking back the tears that are rolling down my face.
Why? That’s all I can think. Why now? The exact time I decide to tell them everything and she not only beats me to it, but embellishes and twists the truth. That article was completely doctored.
Pulling into my apartment building parking lot, I park at an angle, not caring about how I’m taking up two spaces as I jump out and run up to my apartment. All I want is to curl up in my bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend the whole world isn’t out there.
My hands shake as I climb the stairs and it takes three times to get the key into the lock to open up my door. As soon as I’m inside, I slam the door closed and lean against it. I place my hand on my chest, hearing the beat of my broken heart.
I need them out of my house and away from my kids!
I squeeze my eyes shut at the sound of Tris’s voice in my head. Why couldn’t he just hear me out and let me explain? Something in my mind shut down at his words, causing me to not be able to get the words out of my mouth to tell Nate everything.
I feel like all I do is make the wrong turn. Why can’t they have a navigation system for life? It would make things so much easier.
A short burst of laughter escapes me at that, the tears still flowing down my face like the waterfall Nate took me to.
I want to go back; back to the time where all that mattered was him and me and what surprise he wouldn’t tell me about. I hated them at the time, but right now, I’d do anything for a surprise to be the only thing I have to worry about.
Pushing off the door, I pull my cell out, checking the time. I have two hours until my dad will get here. I have to focus on that. Once he’s here, he’ll help me tell Nate and Tris everything.
Swiping my hands down my face, I rinse a washcloth in my bathroom and wipe my face and sore eyes, tilting my head to look in the small mirror above the sink.
My face is ghostly pale, my eyes looking too big for my head, my cheekbones more prominent. As I stare at myself, I realize this isn’t the same person I looked at only a few months ago.
I don’t know how long I stand there watching myself and searching in my eyes for something, but when my back starts to ache, I stand up fully.
Throwing the washcloth into the laundry bin, I walk back into the living room, my gaze landing on the rain as it bats against the window. The gray clouds roll in, getting darker and darker.
I wander closer to the window and open it up, stepping outside. The cold rain hits my face and I close my eyes, tilting my head back and taking a deep breath. The
damp air expands my lungs and I relish in the feel of goose bumps spreading over my skin.