Chapter 34
thirty-four
. . .
Jensen
“I’m half temptedto give her every fucking thing and start over.”
“You will not!” Jenna almost comes out of the recliner. “That bitch will not get your house and everything that dad left you. She will not live off of you for years to come and continue to drag you through hell.”
“I’m not sure how much longer I can fight this out. I’m exhausted, Jen. I’m tired of waking up each day wondering what the fuck else could happen.”
“How about I off her and then when you are assigned the case you can pretend not to know it’s me and tamper with all the evidence?” I chuckle. I’d worry if my sister was a mean person, but I know she’s only trying to lighten the situation.
“How are things with Brynn?”
“They aren’t.”
“I met her, ya know.” She smiles when I wrinkle my forehead in confusion.
“What?”
“Naomi and I were out to dinner,” she explains. “A little girls’ night away from our husbands and she was in the bathroom of the restaurant.” She continues on like it”s no big deal. “I walked in, Na was already talking to her, it was a little awkward at first. Not really a place to have a meet and greet. But we chatted.”
”About what?” I know how my sisters are. They are both pushy when they are seeking information.
“It was brief.” She nibbles on her lip and I know there is more. “However, I did make sure she knew just how amazing my brother truly is.”
“Jen.” It wouldn’t be like her if she didn’t give a little shove.
“What?” She fakes innocence. “I didn’t go over the top, just a little nudge is all.”
“I know what your nudges feel like.” Again she acts like she has no clue what I could be talking about. “You shove, kick, tackle, and push shit off the cliff.”
All Jenna gives me in return is a roll of her eyes, because she knows it”s true.
“When was this little introduction?”
She wrinkles her nose like she’s thinking it through. “A week or more ago.”
It was before Brynn and I had our little talk. “Your nudge didn’t work, by the way.”
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“I mean she stopped by my place out of the blue a couple days ago, after she had an encounter with Chrissy. Finally, offering me a chance to explain everything.”
“Yeah.” The little burst of excitement makes me chuckle.
“Yeah.” I love my sister, something fierce. I know she wants me to be happy.
“So?” She holds her hands out, waving them as if to say tell more.
“So nothing.” Her brows furrow and her eyes squint. “She left telling me that she thinks we both need to take a little time.”
I’m met with silence.
“So I figure that was her giving me the kindest brush-off she could offer.”
“You don’t know that.” Jenna is always looking for the good.
“No, I don’t know,” I tell her, forcing a smile. “But I felt it.”
Again she is silent and I lift my beer to take a drink. I can hear Naomi and my mother banging around in the kitchen. The aromas float through the house, and it smells amazing, but my appetite isn”t there.
“Wait,” Jenna interrupts the silence. “What do you mean she had an encounter with Chrissy?” It took her this long for that detail to click.
“She didn’t give me too many details, just that Chrissy accosted her and called her a slut.”
My sister”s eyes narrow with irritation. “You need to get a restraining order against her.”
”For what, because she went at someone I was seeing?” She’s been careful not to harass me. In fact every time she sees me she pretends to love me and miss me. It’s all a game. “Brynn would have to get one and she’s too stubborn, she’d rather stand up to her.”
“I really like this Brynn girl.”
“Me too, Jen,” I more than like her, “me too.”
“I hate seeing you like this.” Jenna watches me with sadness in her eyes.
“I’ll get through it.” I nudge her with my foot.
“But you shouldn’t have to, Jensen. I can’t stand the fact that Chrissy is doing this to you. I have half a mind to go over to your house and drag her out by her hair kicking and screaming.”
I chuckle. “Though I’d love to see that, it’s not worth you getting in trouble for.”
“Why do the awful, terrible, no good people seem to always win?” Jenna leans back in the recliner and slowly begins to rock.
“She hasn’t won yet, but it feels that way for more reasons than one.” I’m still fighting for my freedom from her and every single day I feel like she chips away another piece of the man I used to be.
“I don’t think you should completely write off the idea of Brynn and you.”
“Hey, you two.” Jenna and I look up to find our mother filling the doorway of the bedroom. “We’re setting the table now.”
“We’ll be right there,” I tell her and then look back to Jenna when Mom disappears.
“I’m pretty sure waiting around and hoping is only going to make it worse in the end. I fucked up, shit got messy and she shouldn’t have to deal with it.”
“If she can’t see past all that, then it”s her loss.” I hear what she is saying but I’m pretty sure I’m the one that lost here. Jenna stands, right as the front door comes open and Myles steps inside.
“Sorry I’m late, I know.” He holds his hands up in defense. “I had a customer show up late and the woman was a talker. I had to explain every single step in great detail and then, explain it all again in the end.”
“Don’t explain it to us, it”s Mom you need to grovel to.” Jenna widens her eyes. “She’s pissed, like raging mad.”
“Seriously?” He glances toward the kitchen and you can see the worry blanket his face. Right then my mother peeks around the corner again.
“You’re just in time.” She smiles and he looks over to Jenna and I.
“Both of you are dicks.”
“I didn’t say shit.” I chuckle as I too stand.
“Exactly, you could have eased my stress, but you sat there enjoying it instead.” Myles starts to walk into the kitchen, with Jenna and I trailing behind him laughing. It feels good to laugh.