Chapter 6 #2
An awkwardness settled in, and I realized that the two of us didn’t spend much time alone. Nor did we talk about our families. But perhaps Bella had changed all of that. Or I was reading too much into this uncomfortable conversation over bread.
“Did you ever think you’d want kids of your own?” Reece asked.
He froze as soon as he said the words, and I had a feeling he was just as surprised they’d left his mouth as I was. I swallowed hard, trying to come up with an answer.
Because the thing was, I wanted kids. I grew up in a decently large family, and if you added all of my extended family, we were loud and boisterous.
Some of my cousins had five or more siblings.
I had two older brothers that I loved with every ounce of my soul.
We didn’t share the same father, but you wouldn’t know that with the way the Montgomerys had pulled all of us in.
“You don’t have to answer that. I’m sorry.” He cursed under his breath. “I keep fucking up when it comes to you.”
I looked at him then, amazed he had even said the words. Who was this man? This wasn’t the Reece that I knew. Or maybe it was the Reece that I had always pushed away.
“Maybe one day. Duke and I had thought about it. Had talked about it even. But finding time was a little difficult at first. We were going to wait. Then he didn’t.
” I shrugged before Reece could say anything.
And then my world changed yet again. “One day I’m sure James will be the practical son that he is. ”
“Honestly, I thought one of my brothers would have kids first.”
“They were never on your radar then?”
He shook his head, and an odd sadness filled me. “Not that I didn’t want them. She didn’t want kids, and I was fine with how we were. Until she wasn’t fine and we divorced.”
It was like a kick to the gut. I had forgotten he’d been married once. But then again, he was forty-one. He had lived a whole life so far, and had so much more to give. And he would do that for Bella. “You’re going to be a great dad. You’re a great dad already.”
He snorted. “I’m not. Seriously. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“My dad had no idea what he was doing when he came into my brothers’ lives. Well, I guess he was always there.” I smiled at the memory. “Actually, my dad was there when the boys were born.”
His eyes widened. “I didn’t know that. I knew you guys had different fathers, but I didn’t know that your dad had always been there for your brothers.”
I swallowed hard, wondering how detailed I should get into the family lore.
“My brothers’ birth father passed away before they were born, and my dad was friends with him.
So he sort of came into my mom’s life to take care of her, and it turned into something more a little bit later.
My dad didn’t know how to be a dad, but he’d already been living that life without knowing it.
” I winced. “Of course, it turns out that Nathan and James’ dad had a secret family and so there’s even more siblings on that side, but in the end, my dad is the best dad I know.
And he takes care of all of us. Including my brothers’ half siblings that I just call siblings because it gets confusing if we don’t. ”
Reece’s eyes widened comically. “I did not know that family story. I know you Montgomerys have your issues, but hell.”
“I know, right? But it doesn’t matter. Not really. We’re all one big happy family. And I’m somehow the youngest who doesn’t get to walk out of the house without big brothers watching over me.”
“That’s what brothers are supposed to do. My three younger brothers had to deal with me as it is.”
“And now Bella has a bunch of uncles who will love her no matter what. She’s blessed. Even if this isn’t exactly how life was supposed to go. You’ve got all of us behind you. No matter what.”
“Excuse me, I didn’t realize I was interrupting.”
My hand dropped as if I was scalded, and I whirled to see Chelsea standing in the doorway, notebook in hand, her chin raised. The hurt in her gaze blinked away before disdain was all that remained.
What the hell was Duke’s sister doing here? I searched my mind for who we were supposed to meet, and I swallowed hard, nearly choking.
“Hello there. You’re not interrupting anything. We’re discussing bread. Are you here with the Restoration Institute?” Reece said, giving me time to figure out what the hell was going on.
What was Chelsea thinking? With me touching Reece’s arm like that.
It was such a betrayal, that I nearly let the tears fall.
But no, that was wrong. Duke was gone. He had been the one to leave.
He left all of us. And it wasn’t as if I was moving on.
Especially not with Reece. And yet I couldn’t help but let the sense of dishonor wrap its spindly claws around my throat.
“Yes. I seem to be the first one here.”
I moved forward and rolled my shoulders back. “Chelsea. It’s good to see you.”
“Is it? For somebody who continues to text me even though you haven’t gotten the hint, you seem to be moving on quite quickly.”
I staggered back as if struck, but before I could say anything at the viciousness of her tone, Reece was in front of me, and I resented him for it.
“The meeting room is across the hall, let me take you there. Ms. Montgomery here was just setting out some of the things she brought from home.”
“I don’t care. If this is how this business is run, I’m not sure the Restoration Institute needs to work with you.”
“Chelsea,” I gasped. “What’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me? You continually text us as if we want to hear from you. And yet here you are, touching another man? You constantly try to hook yourself into our lives when you’re not wanted. You seem to have moved on in a blink of an eye.”
“Okay, that’s enough. If you don’t want to work with the Montgomerys, fine. We have a waiting list. However, I remember your name from the documents, and you’re at the bottom of the ladder from what I see. You don’t have the right to make these decisions. Do you?”
“I don’t know who you think you are, but we’re not having this discussion. I wasn’t talking to you.”
“And you don’t get to talk to her like that.”
“Reece. It’s fine.”
“Reece, is it? Well, how long have you been seeing him? Were you fucking him when my brother was alive? Maybe that’s why he did it.”
I hadn’t realized I had even stepped toward her, until I was in her face, shaking.
“Don’t. Don’t dishonor his memory like that.”
“You’re doing it enough for me.”
“And that’s enough of that,” Reece said, as he slid between us, pushing me out of the way. He didn’t touch Chelsea, and for that I was grateful. She was just the type to sue if anyone ever dared crinkle her precious suit.
“Go. Your business is done here.”
“Like we would ever work with some blue collar Montgomery.”
“Is something wrong here?” Dash asked as he moved forward, the glare on his face so deep that I knew he’d heard enough.
I tried to hold back tears, but as a single one fell, I knew it wouldn’t be the last.
I had no idea what I’d ever done to make Chelsea lash out like this, but I wanted to throw up. Or scream. Or do anything but fight back. Because how was I supposed to fight back to the lies she’d just spewed? My stomach whirled, but Chelsea just glared.
“I think I’ve seen enough here. We’ll be using another company.”
“No. You won’t. You signed a contract, and from what I know, you don’t have the authority to cancel it.
However, your boss does. So why don’t we talk with them?
Reece?” Dash asked, and I had no idea what it meant, but Reece just gave him a tight nod, before Dash, Lex, and a few others in suits practically pulled Chelsea away.
I had no idea what was being said, but my hands shook, and I looked at Reece’s back, wondering what the hell I was supposed to say.
“I didn’t—I don’t—I’m sorry.”
“Come with me,” he snapped, and I took a step forward without thinking. Then I froze, realizing that I couldn’t go with him.
“I need to fix this. I can’t have this encounter hurt the contract.”
“Fuck the contract. I was right when I said we don’t need them. Dash was just making sure he put her in her place.”
“I don’t know what just happened,” I said, shaking my head.
“Come with me,” he ordered again. He pulled me by my arm and practically dragged me out the back door. Thankfully, no one else was around to see. Then I was outside, the sun on my face, and I bent over, hands on my knees as I tried not to throw up.
“Breathe,” he ordered. And then he handed me a bottle of water that I hadn’t even known he had.
“I’m fine. I promise.”
“You’re not fine. And you shouldn’t be. Was that Duke’s sister then?” he asked.
I flinched at the sound of Duke’s name but nodded. “Yes. She hasn’t texted back in over a month, but I thought she was just busy. I didn’t realize she hated me. Or blamed me for her brother killing himself.”
As soon as I said the words, I stood, my hand over my mouth.
I’d never said those words out loud. It wasn’t fair to anyone.
Suicide was a terrible thing. To the person who took their own life, just the thought of it was unbearable.
Because it was something within them that couldn’t fight back.
But to the rest of the people left behind, there were countless emotions that thrived.
Loss, anger, confusion. And now blame. There wasn’t one right way to deal with this loss, or to deal with what happened after.
I didn’t blame myself. I had enough therapy and strength within me to not do so.
But Chelsea blamed me.
And I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with that.
“Fuck her. It wasn’t your fault. Do you understand me?” Reece pinched my chin and forced me to face him.
“I know it’s not my fault. But why does she blame me?”
“Because she’s hurting, and it’s easier for her to lash out at you than actually feel something. But fuck her. She’s a bitch, and I don’t care what she’s feeling right now. She can go to hell for all I care. She doesn’t get to hurt you just because she’s hurting. Duke hurt you enough.”
“I didn’t even know he was in pain.”
“People hide things so damn well, Brooklyn. We both know this.” The awkward silence settled between us, and I swallowed hard.
But his hand had moved to cup my cheek, and I stood there, letting him.
“We’ll never know why. But that’s not on you.
It’s what he thought he needed to do, and it sucks, and it’s painful, and it’s not fair.
But it’s not on you. And I’m not going to let Chelsea hurt you. ”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I asked, unsure I could speak on anything else he had just mentioned. He was saying all the right things, all the things that I needed to hear, and all the truths that wound between us. But if I focused on them, I would break. So instead, I focused on him.
“You know why,” Reece whispered. Then he lowered his head, cursed under his breath, and his lips were on mine.
I stood frozen in his touch, for a bare instant wondering how I hadn’t woken up from this nightmare and dream wrapped in one.
But then his tongue brushed along mine, and I was lost. I put my hands on his chest, unable to do anything but let him kiss me, and there were no thoughts left, nothing but his taste, his touch.
And when reality finally settled in, I pulled away from him, chest heaving.
“Why did you do that?” I asked as I put my fingers over my swollen lips.
“Because I’m a glutton for punishment.” And with that, Reece walked back into the building, leaving me alone as my world shifted off its axis.