CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT #3
It didn’t feel like a hiccup. It didn’t feel like something where I could hold my breath for a minute and eventually my abdomen would stop spasming. This felt real. This felt fatal.
“You need to talk to him,” Gabrielle finally said. “If there’s anything I’ve learned from when I fucked up with Maverick, it’s that communication is so important. Emotions were heightened. He was afraid for the foal. Whatever he said or did, I don’t think he meant it.”
Raina nodded. “I fucked up with Jagger. And he totally called me on it. Said that was a dumb reason to end things. So in his mind, they didn’t. That we just had a disagreement, because adults disagree from time to time.”
“I think I just need to give him some space to process everything. It’s been a rough day, and we’ve spent so much time together recently, maybe he just needs a break. He’ll talk to me when he’s ready.”
“A break from you?” Raina asked, her brows shooting up. “You’re like the least annoying person on the planet. I wouldn’t ever need a break from you. Now, me? I can definitely see somebody needing a break from me. I’m a lot.”
Gabrielle snorted but didn’t disagree.
“But not you. I don’t see how anybody would get tired of or fed up with you.”
“Don’t roll your eyes,” Gabrielle scolded. “You know she’s right.”
“I also noticed that you didn’t argue with me when I said that I was a lot.” Raina glared at our eldest cousin, but Gabrielle just ignored her.
“Normal people have more experience with heartache, relationships, and navigating the surrounding chaos,” I said.
“But not us. I’m freaking thirty-two-years-old and just had my first orgasm, my first boyfriend, and I have no idea what to do now that my relationship is going sideways.
Fuck!” I growled. “I hate our parents. I hate all of them for what they did to us.”
They both nodded.
“Yeah, you can bet I’ll be celebrating like the fucking antichrist when I find out my dad is finally dead,” Raina said. “I’m not one for orgies, but I might just have one because fuck him.”
That made Gabrielle and me smirk.
“Have you guys ever thought about … reaching out to our nieces and doing what Aunt Dolores did for us?” Gabrielle asked.
I shook my head, grateful for the distraction and change of topic.
“No, but that’s a fantastic idea,” Raina said. “I’d be on board with that. Get more girls away from that life. And hopefully before they’re saddled with the children of those awful men.” Her yellow-green eyes went wide. “Not that I’d trade my kid for the world, but you know what I mean.”
“We know,” I said softly.
“I’m so grateful to Aunt Dolores for helping us get out.” Gabrielle swallowed, and I could tell she’d been thinking about this for a while with the way her brows knitted together and her jaw grew tight as she spoke. “We need to pay it forward.”
Just as I was about to agree, Maverick, Jagger, and Sam appeared, coming out of the barn. Sam looked sad, but Maverick said something to her and she perked up.
Gabrielle hopped out and joined Maverick, both of them climbing into his truck, while Sam squished in beside me and Jagger jumped in the front passenger seat.
“Everything okay?” I asked my kid, sweeping my hand down the back of her head.
“Why didn’t you come out?” she asked.
How did I answer this?
“I … I’ll check in with Tom a bit later,” I finally said, not really answering her at all.
“That’s not an answer.” She gave me a weird look.
Dammit. She was too smart.
“Did Tom ask where I was?”
Raina turned over the ignition, and we started to make our way up the driveway. Maverick and Gabrielle followed behind us.
“No. But it’s weird you didn’t come check on Raven or Midnight. Don’t you care about them?”
“That was a lot for everyone to process, kiddo,” Raina piped up. “Your mom is just trying to sort today out in her head too. Then she’ll reach out to Tom.” My cousin met my gaze in the rearview mirror, and I mouthed a “thank you” to her.
We drove the rest of the way home mostly in silence. Everyone was too caught up in their own thoughts, trying to process the insane events of the day.
We reached the vineyard, and Sam climbed out, which left Jagger, Raina, and me.
Jagger spun around in the front seat, his mouth turned down into a frown beneath his beard. “I’d give Tom some time. He seemed pretty rattled.”
That sticky wad of glass-filled peanut butter was back in my throat. All I could do was nod.
“Come on,” Raina said, opening the driver’s side door, “it’s spring break, we just left the Wild West, and even though I’m fresh out of sarsaparilla, I could use a drink.”
Jagger snorted. “You don’t happen to have a saloon girl outfit kicking around, do you?”
She shot him a wink. “I will if you order me one.”
Then they both headed toward Gabrielle’s front door with Gabrielle and Maverick behind them, while I sat there in the back of the truck with my sadness.
Maybe tomorrow I’d hear from him.
Then it hit me. I’d left my overnight bag and my new toy at his house.
Dear god, could this day get any worse?