Jade nods, her eyes never leaving mine. “He told me why Brady committed suicide.” Tension ripples through my body, tightening all my muscles as I wait for the blow. “They were abused by Mr. Lawson.” A sharp breath prevents her from talking, and she tears her eyes away from me, looking at Fallon. “Brady was being abused, and I didn’t even know. How did I not see the signs? What kind of girlfriend does that make me?”
Fallon closes the distance between them and hugs Jade. “I’m so sorry, Jade. It’s just awful.”
Jade shakes her head as she pulls away. “I saw the pain on Colton’s face. How could I not see it on Brady’s?” Fallon wraps her arm around Jade’s waist to offer her comfort.
When Jade brings her eyes back to me, there’s no hatred or anger shining from them, and it’s only then her words hit me.
Jade has finally learned the reason for Brady’s suicide.
But I still need to hear her say it. I watch her swallow hard, and her voice is hoarse as she admits, “I’m so sorry, Hunter. I’m sorry for blaming you. I thought… I really thought… I…”
My mouth sets into a hard line, and the months of anger I’ve been suppressing bubbles to the surface like an erupting volcano. What happened to Brady is tragic, but damn, I waited two fucking years for an apology, and that’s all she has to say?
Months of fighting, of heartbreak, of unfairness, blast through me, leaving me feeling exasperated and outraged.
Seeing the regret on Jade’s face does nothing to make me feel better. “I’m so sorry,” she repeats the empty words.
“So Brady’s old man is responsible for him committing suicide?” Jase asks.
“Yes, he was verbally abusive and broke Brady and Colton down. Colton got angry that night and left Brady to face Mr. Lawson alone. Things got bad, and I guess Brady couldn’t handle it anymore,” Jade tells us what she knows. “It’s horrible and so tragic. I should’ve known something was wrong. I should’ve been there for Brady.”
Tears spill over her cheeks, and she gives me a pleading look. “Hunter… I…”
Jade first needs to deal with her grief before we talk about everything. I deserve more than a half-assed apology for all the times she’s lashed out at me and disrespected me.
I shake my head and walk toward my room, not wanting to say anything I’ll end up regretting.
“Hunter, please,” she calls out as I reach my door, and it makes me pause for a moment. “I’m so sorry I blamed you.”
I let out a breath then do my best to ignore her sob as I step into my room. Jase is right behind me, and he shuts the door to give us some privacy.
“Fuck,” he lets out on a sigh. “Finally, we know the truth.”
Swinging around, my eyes lock on him as anger rages through me. “I always knew the truth! What? Now I have to pretend nothing happened the past two years and go back to the way things were? Fuck that.”
Jase’s expression sobers in an instant, and he closes the distance between us. “I didn’t say that.”
A frown darkens my forehead as I shake my head in disbelief. “What the fuck was that? An apology?” I begin to stalk up and down the width of my room, needing to release my emotions in some way.
“This whole situation sucks,” Jase muses. “It just fucking sucks.”
“Two fucking years!” The shout rips from me, and my breaths come faster. “She fucking attacked me every opportunity she got.”
Sadness washes over Jase’s features, and stepping in front of me to stop my pacing, he places his hands on my shoulders. “You have all the right to be angry. Let it out.”
I shake my head, and my face is torn with the loss I’ve suffered, the torment I had to just bare, the blame I had to carry.
I shut my eyes for a moment, but they snap open when I hear the sound of my door clicking open. My eyes lock on Jade as she steps into my private space, and I grind the words out, “Get out. Now is not the fucking time.”
“Hunter.” Her voice is cautiously soft as she gives me a pleading look. “Can we please talk about it.” I shake my head, but she must have a death wish because she doesn’t back down. “I’m sorry I blamed you. I shouldn’t have accused you.”
“Jade, not now,” Jase says, knowing the thunderous expression tightening my features means not to fuck with me.
“I just want to apologize,” she says, her face filled with panic and guilt.
My eyes burn into Jade’s as I slowly close the distance between us. I lift my hand and pressing against her shoulder, I shove her out of my room. “Mine was never good enough for you. There’s no way in hell I’ll ever accept yours.”