Chapter 18 #2
“Stress. Commotion. You couldn’t wait to throw a relationship at her until after the biggest exam of her life? The nurse let it slip that you two are engaged!” Jim is clearly pissed off at me.
My hands form fists at my sides, and I do my best to stay calm. I shake my head, choosing to ignore him, and instead my eyes catch my father giving Jim a stern eye.
“Why are you here?” I ask.
My father, with his blue eyes and near-black hair, quickly responds, “Violet explained the situation, and I was in the city for a meeting. They just went to the vending machine.”
“Probably to escape you all,” I mutter to myself. Scratching my cheek, I know I need to go into action mode. “Listen, Brielle needs rest. I’m not sure it’s a good idea that everyone is here. She probably wants to see Connor and then focus on getting out of here.”
“She must be devasted that she didn’t get to give her best shot at the Bar exam,” her father points out.
I glance to him, internally agitated. “Of course she is. But we can’t change what happened, since appendicitis can happen at any moment due to biology,” I grit out. “We can’t go back in time.”
He scoffs a sound. “Oh, that we know.”
“Let it go,” my father suggests.
I hold my hand to stop him because I’m capable of doing this on my own. “Go on, Jim, clearly you have a strong opinion on something.”
“I do. It’s so easy for you to stand there and bring our daughter flowers because everything you wanted career-wise you got, and now with your checklist of career goals all completed, the one moment Brielle may also get that chance, then you selfishly become a distraction, and now look where we all are. ” Her dad is seething.
He pushes that sore point inside of me. I hate what he is saying because I believe almost all of it. Maybe he is fucking right.
But I won’t let him have the upper hand.
I step forward, puffing out my shoulders.
“No. We wouldn’t be in this position at all if you just let us stay together.
We followed your lead because we were young and confused.
But the tables have turned, and we don’t need any of your support for anything, and I don’t have to stand here and listen to why you think I’m still hell-bent on ruining Brielle’s life when it’s the opposite. ”
“You should have waited to throw all your intentions at her,” he informs me with his voice raised.
I scoff a sound as I slide the back of my finger along my upper lip.
“She already knew my intentions; we just never said it out loud.” Inside I’m raging.
“You know what, Jim? Today is about Brielle, but make no mistake that we were both miserable. I gave up the woman and family that I wanted to ensure they both had a good life. Do you have any clue what that does to a man?”
“I think we all need to take a breather,” my father recommends.
I side-eye him. “Why are you here? Like really, why are you here? Want to join Jim on the ‘I fucked up in some way’ train? Or are you here because you want to take the opportunity to point out some ridiculous flaw when Brielle is weak?”
He attempts to place his hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off. “I’m on your team, I swear.”
“A little late. Could have used that ten years ago when you pointed out Brielle was going to ruin my career because we were keeping Connor.”
A twinge of pain flashes on my father’s face. For a second, I might even think it’s regret.
The sound of the door cracking open draws all our attention to Brielle who is standing in her hospital gown holding onto her IV stand, with the nurse behind her. She uses the door for support.
“What’s going on out here?” She looks near baffled when she realizes who is in attendance at this gathering.
I step to her, wanting to pretend all is swell, and focus on helping her. “Everyone is just concerned. Look at you, already walking.” I attempt to stretch a smile.
“The nurse here.” She indicates with her head behind her. “She’s a little strict and made me try walking. The yelling was just a coincidental incentive to move.” Brielle sounds less than enthused.
“Yeah,” I draw it out. “We were just having a discussion.”
“Liar,” she mumbles to me before she attempts to smile at her mom.
Her mom who, like always, stays out of the drama, reaches to touch Brielle’s arm. “We’re so happy it’s just your appendix. You’ll be on the mend real quick.”
“Why did I hear you all talking about Connor?” Brielle asks.
Crap, she heard, and that means we triggered her mama bear button.
“It doesn’t matter.” I know that’s not true, but I can at least try.
“How about you all move into Brielle’s room not to disturb the other patients,” the nurse orders more than she suggests.
We all look at one another and seem to agree without words to step into Brielle’s room.
It takes a minute for her to get settled on her bed again, but already she looks better than even an hour ago.
Though, her face has lost any ounce of positive momentum we had when she woke.
My eyes circle the room, and I get it. Our parents are here with serious looks and arms crossed.
When the nurse leaves, Brielle opens her mouth immediately. “I guess we are going to do this now?”
Her father pipes up, no surprise. “We’re happy you’re okay now, sorry this happened.”
“But…” Brielle waits.
“It doesn’t matter. I was just chatting with your fiancé man to man.”
I swipe a hand across my jawline. “Something like that.”
“We were going to talk to you all soon about our new relationship status, whatever you want to call it.” Brielle avoids anyone’s eye contact, and I internally feel victorious that she didn’t correct her father about the fiancé title. “It can’t be surprising.”
“Maybe sudden,” my father points out.
I shake my head. “You’ve all watched us punish ourselves for years.”
To my surprise, Kerry speaks. “You both needed to find your way back to each other in your own time.”
“After our daughter got everything she wanted,” her father adds.
Brielle throws her arms up, and I can tell she felt something pull. “Yeah, I know, I failed the Bar, so let’s add on another eight months to the ‘will I ever accomplish what I was supposed to’ speech.”
I want to scream at her not to let them get to her, but maybe now the post-surgery adrenaline is wearing off and she recognizes that her father might have a point.
“We can’t go in a circle about this,” my father volleys.
I blow out a breath, already exhausted from this.
“Easy for you to say, your son got everything. Brielle just sacrifices over and over for Ford and Connor.” Her father clearly hates me, that I’ve long thought but now established.
“You don’t think I fucking know that?” I raise my voice. I’m the one who could probably define selfishness in the dictionary.
“What the hell, everyone,” my sister loudly whispers and peeks around the corner of the door. “Knock it off, Connor will be here any second, and this is not what he can walk into.”
We all nod, agreeing on something.
“Can you all go,” Brielle requests, and she looks defeated.
It’s when I look at her, study her, that I see it. A sadness in her eyes, and in this moment, I hope her father didn’t get to her, because I know he was only highlighting the obvious.
And if I were her, then I would probably be the last person she wants to see.
She reaches for my hand. “Can I have a moment alone with Connor?”
Something inside of me sinks, it’s near my heart.
Simply responding with a nod, I swallow my pride and fear that she’s pushing me away.