7. Hope
7
HOPE
I probably would’ve remained quiet and withdrawn for the rest of the night, but the new ladies brought me around again by asking for embarrassing stories about their guys.
With the way girlfriends came and went through this group, never staying long enough for me to form any kind of attachments—aside from Nova, of course—I hadn’t intended to get to know them at all. But the damn women were starting to charm me.
So I tried to answer all their questions, even though, technically, I’d only spent a year around the boys between my liver transplant when Alec and I had really started to get along and when my mother dragged me to Ohio. But I’d come back every summer to visit, and Alec had told me all the stories over the years. I could argue that I’d basically been around them in spirit.
“So did you ever meet this Madisyn woman from the grief center who Damien had his first super crush on?” Oaklynn wanted to know at one point.
“Of course,” I answered. “She’s the sweetest. Still sends me Christmas cards.” Pulling out my phone, I started to look her up. “She and her family moved to San Antonio about eight years ago, way before the big scandal went down,” I added, waving a dismissive hand. “And we’ve been friends on social media ever since. Here we go. Her oldest is going to graduate from high school this year. See.”
When I turned the phone to show off a profile picture, Oaklynn and Raina rose from their seats to squeeze between Hudson and Parker for a closer look, and Faith craned her neck higher from the end of the table to see.
“She’s gorgeous,” Raina said.
“She is,” I affirmed, pulling the phone back to me. “Definitely worthy of a young boy’s first crush.”
“But what scandal are you talking about?” Faith wanted to know with a confused shake of the head.
I blurted out a short snort. “Right. Like you don’t know.” But when I glanced up, all three girls blinked at me in confusion, while every guy in the room suddenly seemed interested in something else.
“Seriously?” I asked, growing sober. “Are none of you from Westport?”
“Nope,” Oaklynn reported with a shake of her head. “I’m from Plano.”
“Atlanta,” Faith spoke up.
Raina lifted her hand. “Galveston.”
“Wow.” I gave a low whistle. “Well, I’m not sure if I’m the best source for this story, but about three or four years ago?—”
“Which was well over a year after we collectively stopped attending meetings there,” Hudson added quickly, waving a hand over the rest of his fellow seven—the ones present anyway—to claim complete innocence.
I rolled my eyes. “Doesn’t matter. You know it happened while you were there, too.”
When pretty much every male in the room slumped deeper into their chairs as if guilty, Oaklynn, Raina, and Faith gazed at their boys in confusion.
“While what happened?” Raina finally asked.
Keene cleared his throat and decided to be the one who answered. “The whole place almost got shut down.”
“I guess the director of the center at the time—Gerald Sprout—raped a bunch of the girls there,” Alec added with a wince.
“ What ?!” Oaklynn whirled to send Damien a condemning glance. “You always talked about that place as if it was so great.”
“It was great,” he answered with a slow nod. “For us.” Then, cringing, he added, “Just not so much for other people.”
“And you had no idea this was happening while you were there?”
Gaping at her as if he couldn’t believe she would ask him that, Damien merely said, “Seriously?”
“It was a complete fucking shock to all of us,” Hudson swore, shaking his head sadly.
“The director went to jail,” Foster spoke up. “Nearly half the staff got fired, probably for covering it up, and new ownership took over completely, basically building it again from the ground up.”
“Our old counselor, Matt, became the new director, though.” Alec nodded his approval before wiping a hand over his brow in relief. “Thank God; he ended up being one of the good guys.” With a shrug, he added, “I mean, he was a sucky counselor, but I never thought he was a bad guy .”
“Did you know any of the girls who were—?” Faith gulped audibly, unable to finish the question as she turned to Hudson in concern.
He shrugged. “No idea. All of their identities were concealed. The news just said that thirteen came forward to help convict the bastard.”
“Thirteen?” Faith echoed aghast. “God.”
“Probably for the best that they remained anonymous,” Raina murmured sadly, shuddering as she hugged herself. “Those poor things. Can you just imagine; going somewhere for help because you were trying to grieve the loss of a loved one, only for that to happen to you on top of everything else?”
“I remember the news saying that the girls ranged in age from nine to eighteen,” Foster uttered in a dazed voice.
Oaklynn’s jaw dropped. “Did you just say nine ?”
“Sick prick,” Keene hissed. “I hope the bastard gets gang raped in the prison showers every day of the fucking week.”
Parker shoved his chair back and stood abruptly. “I need another drink,” he growled, turning toward the cabinets.
No one stopped him.
I watched him sympathetically just as my phone rang, breaking into the solemn moment.
When I saw the name Paul on the screen, I fumbled to decline the call.
But the damage had already been done. Glancing up from the counter where he was pouring his bourbon, Parker smirked.
“Paul again?” he asked, lifting his eyebrows in defiance as if to warn me that he’d spill my secrets since I’d spilled his about the restaurant.
I narrowed my eyes just before Alec innocently asked, “Who’s Paul?”
Everything inside me tightened, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Unwilling to tell him the truth, I fumbled.
“Uh. Just, uh—an ex,” I blurted before I’d fully thought the answer through.
But then Alec straightened in surprise, and I knew that had been the wrong lie to give.
“I didn’t know you’d been seeing anyone.”
Panic fluttered, stealing my ability to think up a worthy lie. “Oh—” I stalled, swallowing thickly before waving out a dismissive hand. “It was nothing. Just a couple of dates. I’ll tell you about it later.” After I’d had plenty of time to create a worthwhile story.
“Okay,” my brother answered easily and squeezed my arm in support, making me feel shitty for lying to him.
Exhaling slowly, I looked across the kitchen to find Parker leaning against the cabinets, swirling the amber liquid in his glass as he watched me with a slight scowl. He one hundred percent knew I was lying, but now he was confused about what Paul actually might be to me since it obviously wasn’t an ex.
I smirked and glanced away, satisfied to let him stew over the mystery.
And from there, the dinner progressed. Conversation shifted away from grief center scandals and onto school and classes and campus gossip.
After we ate, Alec dragged me to his room so he could show me all his filming gadgets and even a few short reels he’d edited. He was so excited about it all, and I couldn’t stop watching the glow that spread across his face as he talked.
He’d grown into the best man, I swear. He was so sweet, and kind, and goofy, and handsome. And happy. I was grateful and proud of all the amazing things he’d become.
And I felt extra awful when a yawn slipped out as he was showing me his newest camera. He paused immediately, flushing when he announced, “Shit, I’m boring you.”
“No,” I instantly denied, gripping his forearm. “I’ve just been traveling all day. And I still have to unload my luggage.”
“And I should really let you go,” he added with an understanding nod. “I’ll walk you out now.”
“Actually.” I backed a step away. “Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?”
“Sure. I’ll just meet you in the front room when you’re done.”
“Deal.” I grinned big and slapped a kiss to his cheek before hurrying off.
As soon as I was in the bathroom, however, I closed my eyes wearily and pressed a hand to my side.
Swallowing down some nausea, I fumbled into my purse with shaking hands and unzipped the center pouch where half a dozen bottles were tucked away.
Thank goodness Parker hadn’t spotted these when he’d gone snooping for my phone, or he definitely would’ve told Alec about them.
Grabbing some acetaminophen, I screwed off the lid and sprinkled two capsules into my palm. After I washed them down with a handful of water from the faucet, I wetted my face and then dried it with a hand towel before checking my reflection in the mirror.
Pretty sure this look could pass for merely being travel-worn, I zipped my purse closed again and left the bathroom.
The front living room was empty when I reached it, save for one occupant. From the kitchen, I could hear Foster finalizing details with Damien about his cousin’s upcoming stay, but my attention was focused on the figure slumped in a side chair with his eyes closed as he pressed a half-empty highball to his forehead.
Hearing my footsteps, he let his lashes flutter open, and he regarded me wearily—almost regretfully—as I approached.
“Told you I wasn’t your fucking secret keeper,” he slurred, letting his head fall back on the chair as he watched me with tormented eyes as if he wanted to apologize for mentioning Paul.
“Yes, you did,” I murmured and carefully reached out to slip the glass from his hand.
He relinquished it without protest, merely watching me as I set it on a side table away from him. Turning back, I lifted my hand to his hair because he was probably too drunk to remember this moment later.
“Are we even then?”
Lips parting, he drew in a deep breath and never took his eyes off me as I ran my fingers lightly through his messy locks. “I don’t know. Are we?” His voice was hoarse and raspy.
My heart went out to him. I knew he wasn’t a nice guy. I still wasn’t sure if I’d forgiven him for multiple things he’d done tonight alone. But God, no one did brooding and tormented like Parker Ohrley. I don’t think his soul had ever mended itself back together after his parents had left him.
No matter how much of a jerk he could be, I did not wish this kind of pain on anyone.
With my hand still smoothing over his hair, I leaned down to press my lips to his brow, saying, “I hope you get to see your mom and dad tonight.”
But when I started to pull away, he grabbed my hand in a desperate grip, forcing me to stay and keep my fingers in his hair.
I paused in surprise, still hovering close, as he tilted his face to look up at me, and we found ourselves with our mouths only inches apart.
My lips parted, and the sweet ache of arousal whirled through me. Red rings formed around his eyes as he searched my gaze, almost pleading to me with his expression to end his agony.
“Parker,” I whispered.
His hand tightened around mine, but then approaching footsteps had me jerking upright in alarm. Parker released my fingers, and I spun around in time to see the top of Alec’s curly hair as he jogged up the stairs.
“Hey,” I greeted breathlessly, hoping I didn’t look as frazzled as I felt.
Thankfully, Alec didn’t seem to notice. “You ready?” he asked.
Intensely aware of the presence behind me, I ignored Parker and grinned brightly at Alec. “Yep. Good to go.”
Alec reached for my elbow to escort me outside. And as he passed by the chair where Parker was slumped, he held out his fist for an acknowledging bump.
Parker slowly lifted his arm to bump his knuckles against my brother’s, even as his hooded gaze shifted to me.
“Thanks for the ride,” I murmured, getting nothing but a heated stare in return.
So I turned my attention away and moved closer to Alec as he opened the front door for me to exit.