Chapter Sixteen #2
Wes takes a deep breath and then adds, “I love my mom, but I spent a long time fighting her battles with my dad just for her to pretend like whatever god-awful shit he said to her never happened. Like he doesn’t flaunt his affairs right in front of her.
It’s gotten to a point where I can’t do it anymore.
He’s been trying to use her as a weapon against me almost my entire life.
The only way it ends now is if she decides she’s had enough.
I know it’s not easy, but at some point, we have to stop trying to fix it all. ”
“I know.” I clear my throat, hoping to also clear the itchy feeling brought on by Wes seeing far more of the pain my family has caused me than I’d like. It doesn’t work. “Everything you’re saying makes a lot of sense, but I just…how?”
He gives me a rueful smile and presses a kiss to my temple. “Time,” he says quietly. “Time and a decent therapist.”
My discomfort eases slightly. I’m still embarrassed by my family situation, but it helps to know Wes has been there. And maybe it gives me a little courage too.
I hold out my hand. “I’m going to need my phone back.”
Wes perches on the edge of the mattress next to me while I dial Eric. As soon as he answers, I bark, “Hold on,” and then add Sam to the call.
“What the fuck, Sloane?” he grumbles. “I was asleep. Like a normal person at seven in the morning.”
“Too bad.” I glance at Wes and then throw myself into the deep end. “I need you to take care of this lawn thing with Mom. Her yard is barely bigger than a postage stamp. One of you must have an hour in your day to go over there and handle it.”
“The garage is busy!”
“I have plans with Cassie!”
Their protests fall on top of each other, just like I knew they would. “And I’m five hundred miles away. You can’t possibly tell me there hasn’t been any time at all in the last three weeks where either of you could mow the lawn.”
“You could have just done it when you were here,” Eric says sullenly. “Maybe I’d have had time if I wasn’t working on your boyfriend’s fuckup. Do you have any idea how long it took me to pick out all that glass?”
“Wait, Sloane has a boyfriend?”
“Yeah,” Eric confirms. “You remember that guy she got drunk and bitched about?”
“Oh, I looked him up. Good job, Sloane.”
“First, it’s been like three weeks since I was home.
Even if I had mowed the grass, it would need to be done again by now.
” I press my palm to my forehead, struggling not to let my frustration show.
“Second, I don’t have time for this crap.
Someone needs to mow the damn lawn and keep Mom from getting into it with Sharon Campbell again.
Which one of you is going over there and when? ”
“I don’t have time.”
“I told you, I’m busy.”
“And I’m in fucking Nebraska!” I all but shout, my hand so tight around the phone it’s a wonder it doesn’t break. I squeeze my eyes shut, take a long breath, and reach deep for some semblance of calm.
The back of my eyelids have no answer, but when I open my eyes, Wes says in a voice too low to be overheard, “You’ve been making yourself crazy trying to deal with this. Tell them that.”
I hesitate, my brothers’ protests in the background barely registering. I’ve heard this song so many times it’s practically white noise, but I’ve never really let them see the toll it takes on me. Maybe it’s time to stop protecting them from that too.
“I don’t care,” I cut into the middle of Sam’s long-winded whining about how he won’t be able to get his workout in today. “This is my time away. All I’ve done is deal with this bullshit. You two need to grow up and stop expecting me to fix everything. You’re not kids anymore.”
Wes gives me an encouraging smile and squeezes my hand. I suck in a breath, waiting for the next volley of excuses. Instead, the line is so silent I swear I can hear the sound of my own pulse hammering away.
“You’re better at dealing with Mom,” Sam says eventually, though for once it’s contrite. “She doesn’t listen to me.”
“Because she knows we’ll just let Sloane deal with it,” Eric says with a sigh. “A buddy of mine works for his dad’s landscaping business. I can probably get him to go mow the lawn for a six-pack, but I’m not dealing with the HOA lady.”
“Thank you.” I take another breath, glance at Wes, and then add, “Sam, you’re going to be a lawyer soon. Talking to Sharon will be great negotiation practice.”
“Fine,” he says sullenly. “I can try, but no promises.”
I blink, stunned. My brothers might be mad about it, but unless they’re completely full of shit—not their usual style—Wes’s suggestion may actually work.
“Please text me updates. I’m not sure what kind of service I’ll have today.”
“Yeah, yeah. Be careful,” Eric grumbles before adding a begrudging “Love you.”
“Don’t end up in Oz or whatever,” Sam adds, still sulky, but with his own “Love you.”
“Love you too. Tell Mom I’m fine.”
I hang up with a relieved sigh and let myself sink against Wes. “I can’t believe that worked,” I mumble into his chest, suddenly exhausted by the conversation. “I just hope they actually do what they say they will.”
Wes kisses my temple and squeezes me a little closer. “Watching you stand up for yourself was kinda hot.”
Pushing myself upright, I shake my head and shove his shoulder. “Please do not mention hot and my brothers so close together. Gross,” I say with a fake gag, but I get what he’s doing and appreciate it.
“Fair enough.” He ducks down again so his lips are close to my ear. “I want to hear more about you talking to your brothers about me anyway.”
“Bitching,” I correct, suppressing a shiver at his low words. “Leave it to you to take that as a compliment.”
Neither one of us mentions that Sam called Wes my boyfriend.
“You were thinking about me,” Wes says with smug satisfaction before smacking a loud kiss against my cheek. “Go get your sweet ass in the shower while I work on finding breakfast.”