Chapter 17 Braxton #2
By the last few words, she’s yelling, and, drawn by the racket, Analise sticks her head around her door. “Oh, hey, Mom,” she greets. “Glad you’re home. Dad was getting ready to come hunt you down.”
Mom gives her a small smile, her antagonism dissipating like it was never there.
“Hi, baby. Thanks for holding down the fort.” Analise salutes and disappears again, and Mom turns back to me, her smile rapidly falling away.
“Braxton,” she says heavily. “You have broken that girl, and I don’t even want to look at you right now. ”
“I wasn’t cheating on Gracie,” I say desperately. “I made a mistake.” I grimace at her expression. “Mistakes. And I lied, yeah. I’m not denying that, but—”
Mom snaps her fingers impatiently, and I clamp my mouth shut. “Gracie told me everything,” she tells me, giving me a mean little smile. It’s an expression I’ve never seen on her before, and a shiver skates down my spine. “But obviously, that’s her side. So, let’s hear yours, okay?”
I swallow, a feeling of dread tightening my throat until it feels like I can’t breathe. “Okay.”
She’s still standing in front of the door, not making a move, and it doesn’t give me a lot of hope for the direction this conversation is about to take.
Mom inhales deeply, clasping her hands together. “Did you spend time alone with Paisley, even after Gracie specifically asked you not to?”
“Yes,” I croak, squeezing my eyes shut, not wanting to see the disappointment in her eyes.
“Did you tell Gracie that you were spending time with Paisley?”
My shoulders hunch up to my ears, and I peel my eyes open, knowing I can’t hide from this. “No.”
Mom hums softly. “Did you organize to meet Paisley in Ashland after your counseling session?”
“No,” I say, voice too loud. “It wasn’t planned, but we had coffee. My head was a mess, so Paisley suggested we do our Christmas shopping together. It didn’t mean anything.”
“Happened,” Mom mutters under her breath. “You helped pick out that necklace? The perfume?”
“No.” I shake my head, renewed agitation flaring at the reminder of Paisley’s claims. “We were in the jewelry store together. It’s where I got Gracie’s earrings.
I wasn’t even paying attention when she asked me about the necklace, but she never said it was for Gracie.
The perfume…” I frown, trying to think back. “I don’t think she bought it that day.”
Mom narrows her eyes. “I almost believe that one.” She looks away, her shoulders sagging. “So why did you come home so late that night? Gracie said it was after midnight.”
“I…” I trail off, remembering the way Paisley leaned her head against my shoulder, the feel of her hand in mine. I clench my hand into a fist, trying to dispel the sensation. “We went to the movies.”
Mom blinks. “So you had a date with her?”
“No,” I burst out, but she’s not listening.
“Did you confide in Paisley about anything you shouldn’t have, Braxton?” I clamp my mouth shut, and her face falls. “You did, huh?” she whispers. “Did you talk to her about Gracie?”
I shrug helplessly. “It wasn’t anything. Paisley asked why Gracie seemed so cold to her, and she wanted to get to know the woman I was with. I told her—” Realization surges like a bucket of icy water being thrown over my head, and my mom nods.
“Go on.”
“I told Paisley that the holidays were hard for Gracie.” I rush to add, “But I didn’t say why.”
“You don’t think telling her even that much was enough?
” Mom asks gently. “You know Gracie doesn’t share her history with just anyone.
It took months before she let you in, and even longer before she let us in.
And you’re sharing information about you—about her, about your relationship—with Paisley?
After Gracie told you how uncomfortable she was? ”
A kindling of resentment ignites in my chest. “Gracie really did tell you everything, huh?”
“You’re an idiot,” Mom says simply. “And until you realize just how much of an idiot you were, you need to stay away from Gracie. I won’t have you going over there and telling her she’s overreacting, or that she’s reading into things that just aren’t there.”
“I didn’t cheat,” I say hotly, and a throat clears behind me. I turn and find my dad standing there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his lips.
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I look back at Mom.
“You need to go home and get some sleep,” she suggests softly.
“Take some time, and figure out exactly what you did wrong. Because it’s not as simple as losing Gracie that house, Braxton.
You’ve broken her trust in a way I don’t think you’ll ever be able to repair. ”
I head straight home, as much as I want to drive the other way and go to Gracie’s. I fucking hate that I can’t just go talk to her, but I know my mom is right.
I take the stairs up to my apartment, each step sluggish. I barely get the door unlocked before I hear a voice behind me. “Braxton! I’m so glad you’re home.”
Incredulity fills me as I turn around to face her. “Paisley. What are you doing here?”
She stills, looking surprised by the question. “I was driving past and saw your truck. I really want to talk about everything that happened on Christmas. Can I come in?”
I yank my keys out of the door, squeezing them in my fist, the jagged edges digging into my palm. Paisley looks from me to the door, but I don’t make a move to open it.
“No,” I grit out. “You can’t come in.”A bark of harsh laughter escapes, and she flinches. “You happened to just be driving by, huh? It’s funny how often you just happen to show up, Paisley.”
Hurt shines through her brown eyes, her chin dropping as she peers up at me through her lashes. “Wow, Brax. Your whole family turned on me in a blink, but I honestly didn’t think you would. I didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, she did—”
“Don’t,” I snap. “Don’t try to pin this on Gracie.” I stare at her, the anger cooling into something colder. Sharper. “She didn’t know about the house. You knew that.” My tone is accusing.
Paisley throws her hands into the air, crying out, “How would I know that? You never said she didn’t know, only that you were gutted about losing it!”
I go to refute her claim, but I can’t even remember telling her in the first place, and the words stick in my throat. “Okay, so why did you take my phone to her?”
Paisley’s lips purse. “I was trying to be nice. I found it in the car the next morning. I was going to meet someone out in Ashland, and the florist was on my way out of town. I didn’t think it made sense to drive all the way back to Nick’s.
Anyway, you were still asleep on the floor, so I figured it didn’t matter. ”
She steps closer, her hand reaching out. I step back just before she can touch me, and she pushes her lower lip out.
“Braxton, this is a good thing. You might not see it right now, but Gracie isn’t right for you. For this life.” Her lips curve into a sweet smile, but it doesn’t quite touch her eyes. “You loved me once, and I know you felt that on Thanksgiving.”
My brows knit together. “I didn’t feel shit,” I say harshly, shame a whisper at the back of my head. “What I felt for you was a childish crush, but I love Gracie. I want a future with her.”
Paisley tuts her tongue. “Then why would you lean on me and not her?” she argues. “There’s obviously something that Gracie isn’t giving you. You were drowning, Braxton, and it’s me you talked to. And the movies…”
Memories pound at me, vicious and thorny, refusing to let go—her head against my shoulder, her hand in mine, my choice of silence instead of giving Gracie the honesty she deserved.
“I talked to you because you were there,” I growl.
“I talked to you because you aren’t close to me, and that made you safe, but I can see now that I was wrong.
You’re anything but goddamn safe. It was a mistake.
A lapse in judgment. The movies—” I shake my head, anger fleeing as fast as it comes, replaced with burning guilt.
“I don’t want you. I haven’t wanted you in a long goddamn time, and even then, it was only the crush of someone who hadn’t tasted real love. ”
She pales before she visibly steels herself, her voice fierce as she says, “I don’t believe you.
You’re denying it because you don’t want to hurt Gracie, but we’re meant to be together.
You can’t fight the kind of history we have.
” There’s a fanatical gleam in her eyes, and I drop my chin to my chest.
“Look, Paisley…” I sigh in aggravation. “Back off. You’ve done enough. I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but I’m going to make things right with Gracie. She’s the only person who matters to me.”
Her eyes flare, too bright and gleaming with emotion. “I can’t believe you’re falling in line with her,” she whispers brokenly. “We’ve known each other for years, and you’re throwing that away because your girlfriend is feeling a little insecure? I thought we were friends.”
“I thought we were, too, but a friend would never do what you’ve done.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling an ache settling in behind my eyes. “Just leave, Paisley. You were happy enough to do it four years ago, yeah?”
She falls back a step, her cheeks wan. “I knew you blamed me,” she whispers accusingly. “I knew you were still angry that I left. That I didn’t choose you.” She shakes her head, hair whipping around her face. “And now you’re punishing me.”
A startled laugh bursts from me. “What?” She just blinks, and I prop my hands on my hips. “For Christ’s sake, Paisley. This isn’t about you. Now, go.”
I turn and head into my apartment without another word, slamming the door behind me. I lean back on the wood, wondering how I let it all get this bad; this fucked up. Guilt eats away at my insides, Gracie’s devastated face seared to my memory—scarred so deeply, I know I’ll never forget.
There’s a heavy silence on the other side of the door, and I bite back a scoff at Paisley ever thinking I would welcome her here after what she did yesterday. I don’t let it loose, not making a sound until I hear footsteps as she finally walks away.