Love Survives (Love's Suicide #2)(85)

“Me too.”

She shook her head, like she wasn’t satisfied. “No, I think I even remember the exact moment. We were all three in the tub together. I guess we were around five. I’d asked my mother if she’d stop making me take baths with you two because Branch made fun of me all the time. Remember he used to point at me and laugh because I was different?”

I had to smile. It was fun thinking back to those days. “Yeah, I remember. He only picked on you because he liked you.”

“Don’t take up for him.” She slapped me lightly on the chest. “Anyway, this one time he said I was ugly. It made me cry. You pushed him against the faucet and it cut his back. He got out crying and ran and told on you. Then you looked right at me, as innocent as it probably was, and told me-”

I cut her off. “You’re pretty to me. That’s what I said, wasn’t it?”

She seemed shocked that I remembered.

“Well, you were always pretty, until you hit puberty. Then you became beautiful.”

I could tell I’d earned brownie points.

“I don’t deserve you,” she said against my lips.

Being this close to her was so sensual. Everything about her body screamed for my attention. It was hard to stay focused.

“You know, Kat, I told my Mom once that I was in love with you. I think we were around ten and we’d all three been up in the tree house playing. You had those Barbie’s up there and Branch kept throwing them out and making you climb down and get them. About the third time he did it, I grabbed his arm and yanked it until he cried. I remember him running to tell on me and when Mom asked me why I did it, I looked right up at her and said ‘because I love her’. I think my mom always knew that it had never gone away. She even suspected something the night of our first kiss, or maybe my brother ran in and tattled about what we were doing. She kept giving me an evil eye all night, silently accusing me of something. Maybe I just felt like we’d done something naughty. At any rate, she knew how I felt about you. So did my dad. He pulled me aside when you started dating Branch. He told me that there were plenty of other girls out there for me. He didn’t get that I didn’t want any other girls. It’s the reason I started bringing random girls home. Part of it was because I thought you’d get jealous and want me instead of Branch. The other part was because they both pulled me aside and asked me if I was okay with you being with him. I couldn’t admit that I wasn’t. Mom made a huge deal trying to keep me occupied while you were doing your own things and making out with Branch. Finally, I knew they wouldn’t stop until I showed them that I didn’t care. It wasn’t always an act. Some of those girls were fun.” I began to chuckle quietly while I waited for her to respond.

“I guess I deserve that.”

“Stop. Kat, no matter who I was with, in my eyes, they were always you. Besides, I wasn’t innocent. I lost my virginity to a girl who didn’t even know it was me. You could hate me forever for that one alone, but I went and did it twice, because I couldn’t say no to you. I couldn’t go and get Branch when I knew I could be what you wanted. I used to dream that halfway into it you’d say you knew it was me the whole time. I was pretty messed up.”

“You know, the first time, it was only my second time. It’s probably why Branch didn’t even understand what I was talking about. I wasn’t running around sleeping with your brother. It took me a long time to do that. Maybe I always knew that it wasn’t right.”

“Damn, if I’d have known that I probably would have told you, seeing as I know I was better. I watched a lot of porn while you were out with my brother. You can learn so much if you turn the volume down and fast forward through the story part.” It was so easy to be honest with her. I couldn’t help share every detail about myself.

“Eww, don’t tell me that.”

“You should see the collection we had overseas. It gets real lonely.”

“I wish we could go back.”

“Don’t,” I said as I pressed my lips on the top of her head. “We’re here now. All of that bullshit that we’ve gone through has only made what we have stronger. I’m not living in the past, Kat. It’s time to move forward. I’ll be by your side if you want to divorce Bobby. If you’re not ready…”

“Not ready? It should have never happened. I think everyone is forgetting that I didn’t marry him because I wanted to. I married him because I was out of options. Bobby was good to me for the most part, but I will definitely be divorcing him, the sooner the better.”

“Just checking. So, about the plan. Will you go along with it?”

She looked me straight in the eyes. “I’ll do whatever you want me to, Brooks.”

Hmm, that was the wrong thing to say to a horny man. “Don’t tell me that. I’ll start making lists.”

Just as Kat reached below the covers to check me out, we heard a sound coming from the other bed. There she was, our little girl, awake and curious. “There’s my girl. Come up here. Let’s get Mama.”

While we wrestled and played I could tell Kat was still thinking about seeing my parents and introducing them to our little girl. I wasn’t though. I knew they’d love her and be grateful to have Kat back in their lives again. It was just going to take a little push on my part to make sure it happened. When we all went back to sleep I was optimistic about our trip, but only time would tell if it helped or hurt us.