Chapter 25
Willow
The sound of muffled voices hits my ears. I tiptoe past the kitchen and almost get to the staircase.
"Where do you think you're going?" Ava asks.
I close my eyes on a sigh, then turn back. "Going to take a nap."
She smirks. "Ha! That's funny! Get in here. You've got a lot of explaining to do!" She opens the kitchen door.
My stomach sours with dread.
"It's best to get it over with," Ava reminds me, beaming brighter.
"Stop gloating. It's a bad look on you," I mumble, stepping past her, knowing she's right. Avoiding my family means it'll only be worse when I finally do spill the beans.
The minute I step into the kitchen, the conversation stops dead. Coffee mugs hover in midair while spoons clang against the ceramic. Every set of eyes locks on me like I'm a wanted criminal; the women who know me better than anyone else, staring me down.
"Sit," Mom orders in a clipped voice, her hand gesturing to a stool at the massive island.
Phoebe's eyes widen with sympathy. Georgia's look matches Phoebe's, soft and almost motherly. It only adds to my guilt.
I don't argue, and pull the seat out, plopping onto it and leaning over the cold granite counter.
It's my oldest sister, Evelyn, who starts the attack. Her honey-blonde hair's twisted into a perfect bun, and her blue eyes pin me with Cartwright intensity. She doesn't bother to hide her excitement, asserting, "You've got a lot of talking to do."
I silently take in the situation, debating how to get out of it quickly.
Ava sits next to Evelyn, crossing her arms over her chest. Her posture's so rigid, she could compete with a nun.
Paisley fidgets on the edge of her stool, her gaze darting between me and our mom like she's watching a bull buck in slow motion.
My mom arches her eyebrows.
"Mom—" I start, but she holds up her hand, her silver bangles clinking like tiny gongs announcing my doom.
"I want the truth, Willow. All of it. Every last scrap," she demands.
My mouth goes dry. I swallow, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I… Wyatt and I…" I trail off, hating how shaky I sound. The shame of years' worth of secrets weighs on my shoulders.
"You and Wyatt…" Evelyn prods, pursing her lips and leaning closer.
Silence looms, and there's no way to get out of it.
I collect my thoughts and then start again. "We were together. A long time ago."
Phoebe's eyes soften further, making my guilt explode.
I give her my best "I'm sorry" expression.
"How long?" Mom questions.
"I was fifteen."
Ava gasps. "Fifteen! You lost your V-card when you were fifteen?"
"Ava!" Mom reprimands.
My cheeks heat. I glare at her. "Seriously?"
"So it was serious between you two?" Evelyn asks.
I clench my fists in my lap, blinking hard. I open my mouth, but a tidal wave of emotions attacks, and I can only nod.
Mom's lips press into a thin line, her eyes filling with a storm that makes me feel six years old again. "How could you not tell me, Willow? You know how much we all love Wyatt."
I flinch. "I know. I just… I couldn't. Plus, you saw how Jagger reacted."
Evelyn has never sugar-coated anything in her life, and today isn't the day she's going to start. She states flatly, "So you thought it would be better to lie to us all."
I argue, "I didn't want Jagger to be mad at Wyatt."
Ava huffs. "He would have gotten over it."
"Really? Does it seem like he'll get over it?" I ask, my heart aching at the thought that our relationship might destroy their friendship.
Ava gently adds, "This isn't about Jagger's feelings, Willow. They'll work it out."
"Will they?" I question again, unsure it's possible.
Mom says, "Give it some time. Those two have always been as thick as thieves. I'm sure they'll work it out."
"I'm not so sure about that. Did you see Jagger try to kill him?" Paisley points out.
Mom waves her hand in front of her face. "Cowboys will be cowboys. Like I said. Give it some time. I know your brother. He'll make peace with it."
My heart pounds so loud, I'm convinced they can hear it. "I hope so."
"So why did you two end it?" Ava asks.
Pain shoots through my heart. I take a minute before I answer, "He went to Tennessee. He didn't see how he could stay under the terms Jax gave him. And he wouldn't let me go with him and switch colleges."
"Thank the Lord for that," Mom declares.
"It would have been fine," I assure.
She scoffs. "You wouldn't have the career you've built."
"Says who?" I question.
"There's no other program in the country that fast-tracks agents. It would have taken you fifteen years to be where you are right now," she points out.
I don't say anything.
Was Wyatt right not to let me go with him?
"So you really loved him?" Paisley asks.
I suck in a shaky breath. "Yes. I loved him. More than I should have."
Georgia's gentle voice pierces the air. "And do you still?"
I don't know how to answer that without detangling all the ropes tied up in my chest. I finally croak, "I think so."
"Think so or know so?" Evelyn asks, arching her eyebrows.
"I…" I take a deep breath and slowly exhale, blinking hard.
Phoebe's hand wraps around mine, warm and grounding. She soothingly says, "You don't have to figure it all out right now."
Evelyn snorts. "Yes, she does. Wyatt's not just here for a quick visit. He's staying, and she now represents him. And from the scene in the living room, I'm pretty sure he's head over heels for her."
Butterflies have a party in my stomach while anxiety swirls around it.
She adds, "You can't lead him on when he's been in love with you since he was eighteen."
I whip my gaze at her. "I'm not leading him on. I'm trying to figure it out, okay? I haven't seen him in years, and it's all… It's all just…"
"A mess?" Ava supplies, her teasing tone edged with concern.
"Exactly," I sigh, deflated.
Mom's eyes narrow, sharp and unyielding. "What happened when he left, Willow? Why didn't you tell us then?"
"Because it was humiliating. Jax insisted that he move to the Tennessee team. And Wyatt needed to chase his career. So we got into a huge fight, and when I woke up the next day, he was gone."
A hush settles over us, thick and heavy.
Phoebe's thumb strokes over my hand. "Oh, Willow."
Tears well in my eyes. I choke out, "I thought I'd die from the pain. But I survived. I moved on. I built something for myself. And now he's back, and I don't know how I'm supposed to handle it."
Evelyn leans forward, her gaze unwavering. "So what do you want?"
I blink at her. "What do you mean?"
"What do you want, Willow?" she repeats, tone softening just a hair. "Do you want him gone? Do you want to give him a chance? Do you want us to run him off the ranch with pitchforks?"
A startled laugh escapes me, but it turns into a sob halfway through. "I-I don't know wh-what I want," I stutter.
Ava rests her chin on her fist. "Well, you better figure it out, because that man looks at you like you hung the moon."
"Don't remind me." I groan, slumping over the counter and pushing my face into my forearms.
Mom's voice cuts through the thick air, calm but lethal. "You do realize you pushed for him to stay here, right? And you're going to see him every day?"
The pit in my stomach grows deeper. "Yeah. I know."
"Do you think you two can just be friends?" Paisley asks.
Evelyn scoffs. "Oh, please. That man would crawl across broken glass to get her back, and it's not to be friends."
"Evelyn," Mom warns.
But Evelyn's not backing down. "I'm serious. He's either here to fully win her back or ruin her life again. There's no halfway with Wyatt, and you all know that."
Mom sighs, exasperated. "Willow, Evelyn is right. You need to decide how you want to handle him. Because if you don't, he'll decide for you. And while I love Wyatt, you're my daughter. If he's not what you want, then don't go back down this road with him."
She's right. I have to fully jump in or get out now.
My pulse beats faster between my ears.
Silence follows, growing more nagging with every second. I shift, with every eye in the room on me, waiting for me to tell them my decision.
But I can't. My brain's a tornado of heartbreak, anger, and a shameful undercurrent of want. And I don't want to be a woman who leads a man on only to break his heart.
I rise off the stool. "I need to figure this out on my own."
Evelyn's gaze is soft, but she firmly states, "Then you'd better get started. Because the longer he's here, the deeper this will cut if it's not what you really want."
Mom rubs her temples, adding, "Willow, I let him stay because he's family. But if he hurts you again, I will throw his ass off this ranch so fast he won't know what hit him."
That finally gets a tiny smile out of me. "Thanks, Mom."
Georgia graces me with a small smile. "We're here for you, Willow. Whatever you decide."
Ava points a finger at me. "But don't you dare lie to us again. Because we'll find out."
Paisley softly reminds me, "We love you and have your back."
"Thanks. I love you all too," I choke out, grateful I have such a loving and supportive family.
I move toward the door. "I'll talk to you later."
"Wait!" Ava calls out.
I turn back, arching my eyebrows.
"How bad do you still want him?" she taunts.
My face feels like it bursts into flames. "Shut up."
"Scale of one to ten," Evelyn prods.
"Eight," I admit before I can stop myself, then correct, "Nine."
"Liar!" Evelyn smirks.
I don't admit it's a ten.
A collective gasp fills the kitchen, followed by hoots of laughter.
"You're so screwed," Ava sing-songs.
Evelyn grins. "Or maybe you'll get screwed. There's a difference."
"Evelyn!" I reprimand, but there's no heat behind it.
She shrugs innocently. "What? Someone had to say it."
Mom sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Enough. Go cool off, Willow. And remember what I said."
I nod and then quickly escape the kitchen, practically running up the stairs. I throw myself on my bed, every nerve ending sparking, every thought tangled up in Wyatt, every fear as alive as it's ever been.