Chapter 35 #2
“But I did. I used to know everything about you, Leni. It was always us, you and me.” His voice cracks, full of emotion.
“I’ve been so fucking pissed at you for shutting me out, leaving me behind.
I thought, if I could get to the bottom of this big secret, that maybe things could start getting back to normal.
I wasn’t…” Everyone is quiet at the table.
I knew the family was hurting the second I got back; I could feel it, like there was this fracture straight down the middle.
“I didn’t mean—you know.” He turns to look at Leni, eyes sad, and his shoulders heavy.
“I think maybe I was trying to hurt you a little.”
I glance around the table, catching Adler mouth, “Oh my God,” to Toby before Ethan sits back in his chair.
“That’s fucked up.” I pin Mercer with a glare.
“Yeah, I know, Clay. I never claimed to be perfect.” He rolls his eyes, the corners softening when they drop down to Leni. I wish I could see her face, so I could read whatever it is that has Mercer sighing. His eyes meet mine. “I might have overreacted.”
Pepper snorts, every single head at the table whipping around to look at her. She’s been so quiet this whole time, I kind of forgot she was here.
“Sorry,” she huffs, trying to hold back more laughter.
Brooks gives her a glare that only really succeeds in making her laugh harder.
“Are all families this intense?” She whisper-shouts at him. Brooks shakes his head; the corners of his mouth tipping up before he resumes his regular scowl.
“Leni might not be in that chair.” Ethan’s voice cuts through the comedic break, shattering any sense of peace that might have started to build. “If you hadn’t done that, Merc.”
“I know,” Mercer mutters, looking at the ceiling.
“I think we all have things to be sorry for,” Pa cuts in, deep voice filling the room. “The things you all have been through, I never wanted these hardships for any of you. We’re better as a unit, stronger. Leni, I won’t tell you what to do, who to forgive or when, but I am sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Pa. I just…I want to come home.”
The air shifts immediately, almost every back at the table snapping to sit straighter.
“What do you need to feel like you can?” Ma leans forward, reaching for Leni’s good hand.
“I need you guys to let me make whatever mistakes I’m going to make. The only one who gets to give me unsolicited advice is Clay.”
My arms grip around her a little tighter, my lips pressing into her hair.
“You guys finally realize you’re soulmates then?” Mercer crosses his arms over his chest.
“Something like that,” Leni answers at the same time I say, “Yes.”
He sighs. “I’m sorry about your face, Clay. And your ribs. I uh, probably shouldn’t have taken all that out on you.” He squeezes the back of his neck, looking pained as he says, “Also, I need you to get back to work on Monday.”
I startle, my spine stiffening as I stare at him.
“I couldn’t go through with actually firing you. Not if you’re that invested in my sister. Someone has to take care of her, and you’re gonna need money to do that. A bunch of the guys pitched in their time, so you wouldn’t have to worry about being without leave.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah,” he sighs. “Listen, I’m still pissed about all the secrets,” he raises a hand to stop Leni from cutting him off.
“But you put her first, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for her.
For any of you assholes.” He looks around the table, some of the tension draining from his face. “Thank you for that.”
Orson grins from his seat at the head of the table, lifting his beer bottle. “Hear, hear.”
We all raise our glasses, and while there’s still tension we can feel in the room, it’s significantly less than it had been at the start of the meal.
“To fresh starts,” Marcy adds her own toast. “Fresh starts, and family.”
After dinner, I convince Leni to let me take her to bed. She was practically falling asleep in her chair. Once I get her tucked in, she’s out like a light, painkillers knocking her into oblivion.
I take that as my chance to sneak out for a few minutes. The boys were all heading out back when I left with her. I get the feeling there’s more that needs to be said between us. Things they wouldn’t say in front of Leni.
Pa claps my shoulder when I walk by, stopping me at the door to the deck. “I’m proud of you, son. Proud of the man you’ve become.”
I swallow the emotions down, giving him a quick nod before I let myself onto the deck. The four younger Kane boys are sitting around the gas fire pit. Adler is the only one sitting right by it, roasting a marshmallow.
“How long was she home?” Ethan asks, cracking his thumbs before taking a swig of his beer.
“She was home that whole week before the accident.” I wander closer, taking the beer Toby holds toward me.
Adler’s eyes widen, his gaze shooting to Toby’s.
“Oh my God, she was home the day you tried to break in!” Toby bursts into laughter.
“Me?” Adler spits. “You were there too!”
“Yeah, but it was your idea. She probably heard us talking.” Toby grimaces.
“Oh, she definitely heard you.” I chuckle, plopping down into an empty Adirondack chair.
“How is she?” Mercer asks, sinking deeper into his chair.
“Doing okay. She’s in a lot of pain, pretty much all the time.” I splay my legs out, picking at the seams on my jeans. “She has nightmares sometimes. She woke up some time after the crash. She sat and listened as they cut her out of the car. Couldn’t move her legs.”
“Jesus,” Adler mutters, marshmallow dripping off the skewer into the fire pit.
“Damnit, Addy, those rocks are a pain to fucking clean.” Toby’s growl turns into a chuckle when Adler realizes he lost his snack and starts to pout.
“Damnit, that was a good one!” He sighs, grabbing another marshmallow and putting it on his stick.
“I was a dick,” Mercer huffs, lolling his head to the side, glancing at me.
“Yeah, man. You were.”
Ethan snorts, shaking his head. “I’m always a dick.” He says by way of apology.
“Yeah, you are.” Alder grins, ducking at the right time to avoid the beer bottle Ethan lobs at him.
“Shut up, Addy, no one asked you.”
“Rude.” Adler waves a flaming marshmallow toward Ethan, sending the fireball straight toward his feet.
“Jesus Christ, and you wonder why no one wants to hang out with you.” Ethan stomps it with his boot, cursing more as the fiery mess clings to the sole of his shoe.
“Everyone wants to hang out with me, thank you very much. I’m a delight.”
“Sure thing, bro.” Toby steals a marshmallow, popping it into his mouth before Adler can take it back.
“So you and Leni, huh?” Adler bites his bottom lip, making everyone else groan.
“Fucking hell, Traeger. Three months. You couldn’t have waited three more months?” Mercer digs out his wallet, pulling a hundred-dollar bill, and passing it to Adler.
“You’re kidding me, right? There’s no way, boy wonder guessed the exact date.”
“Nah, we all lost the initial bet. Ten years was fucking ridiculous.” Toby pulls a hundred dollars from his wallet.
“Started a new one when you moved back. Adler gave you a week and a half, from when Leni was supposed to come home.” Ethan grimaces when he passes his own bet over to Adler.
“Damn.” I settle back into my chair, grateful I’m not out a hundred dollars. “I don’t know if I should be insulted by that or not.”
“Just take it as a compliment, Clay.” Adler winks, three hundred dollars richer, as he digs into his s’mores.