Chapter 25
JACK
“You have no right,” Em, my wife, chides me. “As I said, call her, confirm she’s there, and invite her over.”
“I controlled myself,” I say defensively. “She’s in Sterling Ahern’s house. We’ve seen the crazy parties he throws. What if she’s having an orgy?”
“I’ve been at those parties,” Jason adds. “We used to party together. Do you think I want my little sister with him?”
Eileen stares at him and crosses her arms. “What are you saying, that I should dump your ass because when you were younger you were …”
“But I’m not like that anymore,” Jason protests.
“How do you know he is?” Em questions and stares at the two of us. “I saw the parties, but they stopped long ago. The only guests he has are Wes and Abby. You know, I’m happy she’s with someone different from the usual assholes she dates.”
I glare at Em because she knows something. She’s hiding something from me.
“How long have they been together?”
She smiles and shakes her head. “I don’t know. You just told me they are together. I haven’t even confirmed it.”
I run a hand through my hair. “What’s happening to June?”
She shrugs. “That’s her story, not mine. You know my rules.”
I’m not sure if I should be pissed at them or glad that they’re finally getting along. It was killing me that my sister kept her distance from me, and Alex continuously said it was Em. I love them both, I can’t leave my wife but losing my sister hurt.
“Is she safe?”
“You have to trust her. She’s not a kid and you’re not responsible for her. Barging into your neighbor’s house trying to drag her home was pretty fucked up. If she’s not mad at you, I am. June isn’t going to show up at your door and say, I got married.”
“Jeannette moved to Hawaii—after doing just what you said,” I complain.
“We have tickets for January. We’ll be there for a couple of weeks. Now, help me cook. The girls are taking a nap.”
I nod, put a hand behind her head, and take her mouth.
She’s right, I shouldn’t have acted the way I did.
I could blame my mother for calling me at five o’clock in the morning mortified because her daughter wasn’t home.
Why didn’t she call me last night? She didn’t want to wake up my daughters.
Better call me at five when she can wake up the entire house.
“Love you,” I mumble. “Not sure why you put up with me.”
She smiles and hugs me tight. “Because you love me as much as I do you. We just have to work on a few kinks because you’re going to be a better father than you’re a big brother. If you ever do that to our girls, I won’t be happy.”
“I’ll try.” I don’t make promises I know I’ll break.
Now the question is, how am I going to ensure that June doesn’t end up with that fucker?