Priceless (Forbidden Men #8)(75)

SARAH




As Brandt staggered from the house, I covered my mouth with both hands, feeling...I’m not even sure.

Devastated, heartbroken, enraged at his mother, scared for him, shitty for scaring him off with my mere presence, and just...pretty much every other awful emotion ever invented, plus maybe a couple that hadn’t been yet.

But what the hell had just happened? My best friend on earth had been molested by his mother, and I’d never even had a clue? How had I never been able to guess that? I had to be the worst friend ever.

And—oh God—from Colton’s description, I’d pretty much reenacted what had happened to him all those years ago last night.

I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to vomit, bawl, and then rinse and repeat.

Around me, silence filled the kitchen before Noel cursed and started toward the door, after Brandt.

“No.” Caroline caught his arm. “I should go. He and I are the closest.”

“What the hell ever,” Colton broke in. “You don’t know him like I do. I’ll go. I started this, anyway. I need to apologize.”

“Neither of you are going,” Noel growled. “I’m the oldest and a surrogate parent to him. I’m going.”

“Maybe none of you should go,” I said, making all three of Brandt’s siblings scowl at me. I cringed into my wheelchair and in a smaller voice added, “I just...I really think he’d appreciate some time to himself right now.”

“Hot Wheels is right.” Ten nodded, picking up Teagan from the floor to rest her on his hip. “She should go.”

“Me? What? No!” I lifted my hands. “That’s not what I said at all.”

Seeing me was what had frightened Brandt away in the first place. I was probably the last person on the planet he wanted to talk to. Especially after last night.

God, he must hate me.

Caroline, however, started to nod. “You’re right,” she told her husband. “She’s probably the only one he’ll listen to right now. Sarah, you go.”

“No, really.” I began to wheel my chair in reverse. “Did you see his face when he saw me? He didn’t want me to even know about this. No way will he want to talk to me about it.”

And besides, after last night, I wasn’t sure he’d want to talk to me period.

“He didn’t want any of us to know,” Brandt’s sister argued as she pulled open the screen door and waved me forward. “But now that we do, someone needs to tell him we still love him, he did nothing wrong, and we’re here for him no matter what, so...go along now.”

“I said I was going!” Noel snapped.

Aspen, who’d been gazing into the backyard, turned and caught her husband’s arm before he could reach the door. “Noel,” she said softly. “I know what he’s going through. He won’t be able to talk to just anyone.”

When Noel’s shoulders collapsed and his eyes filled with torment, I wondered what the heck had happened to Aspen for her to be able to relate to Brandt.

“If he’s able to open up at all, it’s only going to be to the person he’s closer to than anyone else.” When her gaze sought mine, I gulped.

Shit.

Noel glanced my way too. Then he squeezed his eyes shut and cursed softly under his breath. Finally, he blew out a lungful and glanced toward Ten. “I can’t believe you were actually right. Sarah should be the one to go.”

Ten flipped him off before rhetorically asking, “Why is it so hard for people to see what a genius I am?”

“I don’t know, baby.” Caroline patted his shoulder before she turned seeking eyes my way. “Sarah?”

“His truck’s still here,” Aspen told me. “So he either took a walk or he’s still in the backyard. My guess is the latter.”

Noel squeezed my arm supportively. “Will you please help him?”

I opened my mouth to argue. There was no way I was the right person to seek Brandt out right now. But everyone in the kitchen was spearing me with this pleading, desperate look. I swear, even the toddlers were looking at me with little begging expressions.

I groaned. “Okay.”

Convinced I was only going to upset Brandt more, I scowled at Caroline for still holding the damn door open as I wheeled past her into the darkening evening. The chilly air made me hiss out a startled breath. It was as if even the atmosphere knew this was a cold, dark, painful moment.

I rolled down the ramp, turned toward the grassy yard, and sighed. Grass was more difficult to power over; it’d slow my search down, but that was fine because a new idea hit me. Nothing brought my best friend around like his protective instinct.

Though I couldn’t see Brandt anywhere, I knew one surefire way to draw him out of hiding if he was here. I kicked my footrests up to the sides and out of my way. Then I latched my fingers around the armrests and gingerly pushed to my feet.

From the dark, a sharp voice growled, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m...” When I took my first step, my legs wobbled like a new colt’s. “Coming to...find...you.” With my second step, I nearly went down and had to reach out my hand to brace myself against the boarded wall of the privacy fence.

“Sarah!” His voice high with alarm, Brandt appeared in front of me and grasped my arms. “Are you crazy? You’re going to fall and hurt yourself.” A supportive arm banded around my waist as he tethered me to him.