A Missing Heart(70)

“Okay,” I tell them. “But I thought you needed to get on the road early?”

“I’m not in a rush to get this process started. I just want to hang on to what we have for a little longer.” I can agree with that.

“If I could keep you both from leaving, I would,” I tell them.

“Why can’t he come with us?” Ever asks.

“It’s complicated,” Cammy replies quickly.

Is it, though? I can’t help but feel like there’s more to her reason than me proving a stable job and home.

“You look nice today, Ever,” I tell her. The dark make-up has slowly disappeared from her face over the last few days and she’s wearing new clothes, which I assume Cammy had a hand in choosing. Her hair is off her face and it’s the first time I’ve seen her like this. My focus is pulled to the birthmark beneath her ear—the one that looks like shooting stars. It was as vivid in my memory after all of these years as it is on her skin. “But that’s probably because you look more like me without all that makeup on, you know?”

She glares at me, and I know if I had a hand in raising her to this age, the snarling look might have gotten old by now, but I swear every time she gives me this look, I love her a little bit more.

“My parents are a little overwhelming,” I warn Ever.

“Oh, just like the two of you?” she replies, proudly grinning at her shot.

“Exactly,” I say, rolling my eyes and giving her a snarl back.

We pull into the driveway, and I don’t know why I should be surprised, but Hunter’s here. It’s like he knew we’d be showing up, or maybe he’s just here every morning before work, and I don’t know about it. That’d be weird though. He’s married and stuff.

“Let me go in first, okay?”

“Sure,” Cammy says through a thick inhale—one that sounds coated with anxiousness.

I take Gavin out of the backseat and carry him inside, finding everyone sitting in the living room, looking at me like I just walked in naked. “Um, good morning?”

“AJ? What are you doing here?” Hunter asks, looking and sounding guilty.

“Hi, Uncle!”

“Olive, don’t you have school?” I ask her.

“Nope!” Lana shouts from the kitchen. “It’s a professional day for the teachers so we get to stay here for a bit this morning.” Well, at least there’s an actual reason for them being here. I was starting to assume Hunter raced over here to tell Mom and Dad what I came to tell them. I know he totally did.

“You don’t have to be at work for another hour, Hunt. It’s kind of early to be here, don’t you think?” I ask, shooting him a look to tell him I know exactly why he’s here. The bastard was definitely ratting me out.

“Uh—just wanted to get an early start,” he says.

“Bull!”

“Oh, AJ,” Mom says, standing from her chair and making her way over to me. “Can I please meet her?”

“Seriously?” I ask, looking at Hunter. “It’s seven-thirty in the morning. Last night must have killed you, keeping this secret in all night.”

“It did,” Hunter says, smirking.

“I knew…” Dad says from the corner of the living room as he slouches down in his recliner with a guilt-laced grimace.

“What are you talking about?” Who is he talking about, I should clarify. Did Hunter have enough time to tell them about both Ever and Tori?

“I knew you got that girl pregnant. Heard you on the phone with her one night when I was in the bathroom. You know how thin that wall is between your bedroom and the hall bathroom?”

“Yeah, Dad, I know how thin the wall is. I heard more than my share of shits being dropped off in that room.”

“AJ!” Mom scolds me.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” I ask Dad.

“Same reason I never told your mother.”

Mom looks pissed, and she’s not being shy about it. “How could you keep something like that from me?” she asks. “I’m his mother!”

“Wasn’t my secret to tell, honey,” he says. “I thought AJ would come to us when he was ready. I didn’t think it would be thirteen years later, but I knew eventually he would.” I can’t believe Dad kept a secret that long. Clearly, Hunter got his big mouth from Mom.

“Are you going to—” Mom asks with a hiccup lodging in her throat.

“We’re going to try and reverse the adoption now that the adoptive parents are gone.”

Mom clasps her hands over her chest and bows her head, whispering something to herself. “How does that all work?” she mutters.

“I don’t know, Mom. It’s a long process I guess. Cammy is taking her to Pennsylvania to get it sorted out.”

“You aren’t going?” Dad asks me, anger breaking through his voice.

“Cammy doesn’t want me to go.”

Mom walks past me to take a seat on the couch next to Hunter. “This is a lot to wrap my head around, but I have to know—Hunter was saying something about Tori when you walked in. Is she okay? She must not be taking all of this very well.” Lucky me. Hunter didn’t get that far.

I dip my head back with frustration. “That’s an even longer story.”