“I’m getting a coffee.” Adam stood abruptly and left the room.
Grayson winced. “I didn’t mean to scare him off.”
“He’ll be back.” The heat in my cheeks subsided. “He’s determined to finish that book.”
Grayson walked over to the nightstand and picked up the novel. “I remember this one. Gramps used to read it all the time after my Gran passed.” He flipped it over and read the blurb.
“I think it makes him feel closer to her.”
Using his free hand, he opened the book and flicked through, only to pause on the title page. “I think I know why. This book was a gift. ‘To my daring, Betty. Happy 27th Birthday. Love, Liam, William, and Adam.’Adam?”
My stomach dropped.
Grayson’s forehead furrowed. “That’s weird.”
“What’s weird?” Adam asked, sauntering back in with a steaming mug.
“This inscription. Our names are written here, but we weren’t even born yet.”
“That’s because it’s not you.” Liam’s husky voice tore through their curiosity.
The boys grew matching lines between their eyebrows as they drew closer to their grandfather. They could almost pass for twins if it wasn’t for Grayson’s darker features.
“What are you saying, Gramps?” Grayson asked, rereading the words in his hands.
“Six years after your father was born, we were blessed with another son. We named him Adam.”
Grayson sank into the chair, while Adam didn’t move.
“To our devastation, he was taken from us way too soon.”
“Oh, Gramps…” Grayson took his hand. “That’s awful. How did we not know?”
“Your father really struggled with the loss. All he wanted was a baby brother, and he absolutely adored him.” A melancholy smile fell over his cracked lips. “That’s the reason why he went against our family tradition and named his first son Adam.”
Adam’s facade began to crumble as anger surged through his energy. “Why didn’t anyone tell us this?”
“It was a very dark time in our lives. Your father doesn’t want us talking about it.”
Adam pinched the bridge of his nose as he took slow, deep breaths. “If I’d known, I’d…I…”With a scowl, he slammed his coffee on the side table and stormed out of the room.
My eyes struck Liam’s, and he motioned me to follow.
“Hey!” I chased Adam down the hall.
He spun around, barely holding himself together. “For the past thirty-three years, I believed I wasn’t worthy of the title…that something must’ve gone wrong at birth to see me not fit to carry on the family name. I’ve spent my entire life working my ass off to prove my father wrong. I did everything he ever asked because I…I…”
“Wanted him to love you?”
Adam growled. “It sounds so fucking stupid.”
“It’s not stupid.” I gazed up into his tortured eyes. “It’s human.”
“But to find out he named me after the one person he loved most in the world…it changes everything! If I’d known, I wouldn’t be so…so fucking complicated.” He hung his head with a sigh. “I don’t even know who I am without that resentment.”
I blinked back tears. “I do.”
“How? I’ve been a complete dick to you.”