Series: Peach State Stepbros Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
The second the words leave my mouth, I want them back. There’s a clank, and I look up to see Ellie had come into the room. She’s dropped Troy’s bottle of soda to the floor. Guilt overpowers my anger because while Ellie and Troy deserve to know what Glen did, they shouldn’t have found out like this.
“Ellie…I’m…” I can’t find the words, so I look at Troy. “I’m sorry. I just found out. I didn’t mean—”
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Glen cuts me off. “They were kissing. Atlas has brainwashed your son, played tricks with him to get back at me. That’s all this is about! He’s trying to punish me for Madison. He—”
“That’s enough!” Ellie shouts, everyone else going silent. “That is enough,” she says again, closing the door. “Is what Atlas said true?”
My heart breaks for her. While she isn’t crying, I can hear the tears in her voice, hear how hurt she is.
“He’s trying to turn this around, make it about something it’s not. He—”
“Is telling the truth,” Ellie answers her own question. “This isn’t about Atlas. It’s about you—how you’re never satisfied. No matter how hard I try, I will never be enough for you. And maybe I deserve this after what we did, maybe I deserve it, but I’m not going to let you blame anything on our sons. They don’t deserve that.”
“So you’re just going to let them…” Glen waves his hand. “Do whatever this is they’re doing?”
“Loving each other? Yes. I can’t pretend I’m not surprised, but if they are good to each other, if they make each other happy, then I’m going to support them.” She looks at Troy. “It’s time I start supporting my son more.”
I feel Troy’s whole body relax, knowing how much he needed to hear that.
“Ellie…don’t do this. Let’s talk about it. I—”
“Get out,” Troy tells him.
“Who the hell do you think you are? I—”
“Get. Out,” I nearly growl at him.
He looks at me, at Troy, then at Ellie, who walks to the other side of the room to stand with us. Without another word, Glen leaves.
“I’m sorry, Ellie. I was going to tell you—tell you both. I just found out yesterday and planned to tell Troy tonight—”
“Shh.” Ellie reaches over and squeezes my hand. “It’s not your fault. I knew. Well…I recognized his excuses, but I kept lying to myself. I’m not going to ignore Glen and his bad behavior anymore.”
I nod, still weighed down by my guilt, but Ellie is looking at Troy. “You and Atlas?”
His eyes find mine, and just looking at him makes me believe it’s all going to be okay. “Me and Atlas,” Troy confirms. “I love him.”
“And I love him too,” I add.
Ellie smiles. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
And while I know there is a lot to sort through, a lot of pain that all of us will have to deal with, all I can feel is hope.
35
Troy
Atlas’s greedy hands and mouth are all over me as soon as we’re in his apartment, and before I know it, he’s got my back against the door.
“I like my frisky Atlas,” I say as he gives our lips a moment’s rest.
“Just wanna get to doing all the things I couldn’t do in front of your mom.” He plants another kiss, starting off firm, but then turns gentle before he licks up my lips and pulls away.
There’s concern in his expression. Maybe I know it so well because we’ve gotten good at reading each other after all these years. Or maybe it’s because I saw it when he showed up at the hospital. As much as I hated that I’d made him worry, it was nice to see how much he cared. After what happened with Brandon, it was refreshing to see Mom and Atlas drop everything to be there for me. Reminded me that the people who matter in my life, I don’t have to wonder why they’re not around or try to drag them back into my life against their will. They show up because I matter to them.
“How’s your hand?”
“The pills they gave me helped with the pain.”
“And how are you feeling, outside of the hand?”
It’s been a wild night. The shit with Brandon. The searing pain before the paramedics arrived. Glen walking in on Atlas and me. Finding out about Glen cheating on my mom. And then all those hours in the hospital to spin in the mindfuck of everything that happened, before I was finally discharged this morning.
As I consider Atlas’s question, he whispers, “Be honest.”
It reminds me of special, intimate moments we’ve shared. But now he’s not just wanting to know my secret wishes and desires, but my heart.
And he’s already got that.
“I’m sad for Mom,” I confess. “I know she was trying to keep it together for us, and I’m proud of her. That couldn’t have been easy. I know she loves the life we’ve gotten to live with Glen. And I know how much she wanted it to work. Not just for her, but for me too.”