Chapter 24
twenty-four
. . .
Jensen
Of all thetimes I’ve been to my mother’s,all the dinners and lunches and occasional breakfasts, I’ve never felt so uncomfortable. I can’t bring myself to look up from my plate, with only the sounds of silverware hitting plates and glasses being placed onto the table harder than necessary. I know it”s simply to gain my attention but I don’t have to look at any of them to know they are all glaring.
“Have you even reached out?” I know the question is meant for me. Jenna isn’t as pushy as Naomi, but she is a romantic. She was the first person to tell me that Chrissy was a bad seed and wasn’t the right woman for me. Had I listened I wouldn’t be stuck in the ongoing hell I’m in now.
“Send flowers maybe?”
“I plan on explaining everything,” I say, still staring at the broccoli I’m mindlessly moving around on my plate. “Right now I can’t even seem to get close to her. She’s got all her watch dogs running interference.”
My brother chuckles and I ignore him.
“Watch dogs?” my mother’s voice interrupts and I then look up to find her staring at me.
“Her best friends, her brother.” I shrug. “I tried to go after her that night, I’ve tried calling and she doesn’t answer, she’s pissed and I get it. I’m giving her time.”
“Giving her time is a terrible idea,” Naomi interjects.
“Yes,” Jenna adds. “Right now she’s sitting around talking about what an ass you are. She’s forming an opinion, her friends are all following suit. They’re all thinking you are an adulterous whore who cheats on your poor innocent wife who’s waiting at home.”
“Chrissy is far from innocent,” Myles adds.
“Well, we all know that, but does this woman. A woman who from what Na says is gorgeous and kind and the exact opposite of the self-centered judgmental bitch you chose to marry.”
“Can we discuss something other than my failures, please?”
“No,” Jenna wastes no time. “I watched you go through days of torture and we all knew how unhappy you were. That dick tricked you into marrying her with some fake pregnancy.”
“We were already engaged when she told me she was pregnant.”
“Maybe, but you were having second thoughts and she knew it.” Jenna isn’t wrong but I choose not to tell her that. “She sensed you were about to back out and so she threw out the ultimate hook.”
This evening has been exhausting.
“This version of you is not the brother I know and love,” Jenna tosses out almost sadly.
I glance over at her husband Jarod. “Are you gonna offer me any help here?”
“I know better than to go against this one.” He juts his thumb over toward my sister. “We have a lumpy couch and I can’t sleep for shit on that thing. Sorry man, I love you, but I love the comfort of my wife and my bed more.”
“Pussy,” I mumble.
“Jensen,” my mother scolds me. “If you ask me, you’re the pussy.”
Everyone shifts their attention to our mom who just came out of nowhere with a reversal of the Jensen insults.
Jenna covers her laughter and Naomi actually smiles proudly at our mother.
“What?” She looks around the table then settles on me. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. I can’t seem to form a word.
Myles holds out his hand to fist bump our mother only she doesn’t reciprocate.
“From what Naomi”s told us all this woman you met is sweet as pie and nothing like the crazy bitch you made the mistake of marrying. You should have held on tight and if that meant confessing your mistakes then damn it that is what you should have done.” I only stare at the sweet woman who raised me.
“Amen!” Na adds, raising her hand in the air as she lifts her wine glass with the other and takes a drink.
“If I were you I wouldn’t be sitting here pouting about how I screwed up. Instead I’d be out there trying to find every single way I could to clear things up and make things right.” My mother takes a huge drink of wine and then fills her glass more. Apparently I’ve made my mother feel the need to drink more heavily than usual.
“I’m giving her time,” I add.
“Like I said.”” I glance back to my mother just as she mouths the word pussy. And yes it”s an insult directed at me, but I still find myself feeling proud. Also, she isn’t wrong. I should have told her from the start and then fought harder for the chance to have something with her.
I’m standingat Connor’s door, holding a bottle of whiskey and a twelve-pack of beer. I can hear him moving around inside and the echoes of a woman’s voice too. I don’t feel one ounce of guilt for interrupting his evening.
When he opens the door and I lift the contents I’m holding he looks back over his shoulder. “Sorry, but we have to cut this short.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.” He jerks his chin toward the door. “Time to go, Kim.”
“It’s Kate.” The brunette narrows her eyes at him as she grabs her jacket off the back of his recliner.
“Yeah, Kate,” he corrects. “That’s what I meant.” The woman looks like she is seconds away from committing a crime and not feeling any remorse.
She calls him an asshole as she storms out, shoulder checking me. This is the second time one of his scorned lovers has practically taken me out. The sounds of her heels click the entire way toward the elevator.
“Come on in.” He chuckles. “I need to lock this door.”
Thirty minutes later we are half a bottle of whiskey and two beers each in.
“Myles was loving every second of it, because for once I was the bad guy.”
Connor sits opposite me, both of us feeling real damn good.
“I had to endure the lecture of all lectures.”
“Which sister?” he asks and I choose to ignore the fact that I know something happened with him and Jenna at some point. I’m sure it was only once, maybe twice, but the idea makes my stomach tighten up.
“Both of them,” I finally replied. “They’re now a team.”
“Haven’t they always been a team?”
“Yeah,” I take another shot, “but now more than ever.”
“I bet that was hell.”
“Mom joined them,” I add as I lower the glass and it clicks against the granite countertop.
“Your sweet little mother?”
“She’s not always sweet, the woman has a vicious side.”
He chuckles. “I don’t believe that for a second.” He laughs because he’s seen that side before. It doesn’t happen often but watch out when it does. Especially if it”s you she’s upset with.
“Tell that to my shredded soul. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to piece it back together after the thrashing.”
“Alcohol makes you a drama queen.” Connor pops open another beer for the both of us. I know I should stop now but drinking until I pass out sounds much better at this point.
“Fuck.” I run my hand through my hair. “I should have brought you as a diversion.”
“A diversion?”
“Yeah, exactly, you’re a fucking mess, the girls in my family know that. I could have veered them off on you and skipped out on the scowls I got the entire two hour dinner.” I blow out an exaggerated breath. “I even skipped out on dessert.”
“You skipped your mother’s cheesecake?”
“Yeah,” the woman makes a killer cheesecake, “that should tell you how bad it got.”