A Secret for a Secret (All In #3)(82)

“I’m going to go upstairs and pack my things and see if I can book a flight back home.”

“I can help with that if you need me to.”

“I wouldn’t mind a few minutes alone, and you could probably use a little time to talk to your family.” She inclines her head toward the living room. “Thank you for your thoughtfulness; you’re an unfailing gentleman. And for what it’s worth, I want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me.”

“I want the same for you.”

She kisses me on the cheek and heads upstairs.

Since it was an afternoon game, I’m able to get her on the last flight out tonight—first class, obviously. I give her a few minutes to collect herself and then take her luggage from my bedroom out to the car I called to take her to the airport. I would drive her myself, but I don’t want to make the situation more awkward than it already is.

I feel bad about the whole thing, but it’s been a long time coming. And I’m glad she now realizes, just like I have, that our relationship didn’t have what we needed for it to last a lifetime.

My family is sitting in the living room, murmuring among themselves. Gerald has found the scotch I never drink, and everyone else is holding a cocktail or wineglass. So nice of them to make themselves comfortable while I deal with the mess they’ve made for me.

Gerald holds up a mason jar. “You have to put fifty bucks in here.”

I should ignore him, but I don’t. “Why?”

“Because you swore.”

“It’s a dollar a swear, not fifty bucks.”

“Yeah, but it’s you, so there’s a markup.”

I don’t bother answering, because anything that comes out of my mouth is probably not going to be nice.

“I can’t believe you threw away your relationship. Jessica has been part of our family for eight years.” My mother’s disappointment is clear in her tone and her expression, but for once I don’t want to placate her.

“He did the right thing!” Hanna snaps before I can speak my mind.

“How can you say that?” Mom’s hand goes to her heart, and she looks aghast.

“He wasn’t happy with Jessica, and he hasn’t been for a long time. It was right for him to end a relationship that wasn’t working for him, for either of them.”

“But he loves her and she loves him, don’t you, Ryan?” Her expression turns imploring.

“I care about Jessica, but I’m not in love with her, and she’s not in love with me either,” I say.

“Of course she is. It’s just a phase. Every relationship goes through this; you’ll see. A little more time and you’ll both come back around.” She wrings her hands anxiously.

“That’s not going to happen, Mom, and the sooner you come to terms with that, the better it’s going to be for all of us.” I’m frustrated that she’s still harping on this point for reasons I don’t understand.

“It’s King’s life,” Hanna adds. “And it’s his decision if he wants to pursue a relationship with someone he feels is better suited to him. Which is exactly what Queenie is.”

“How can you say that?” Mom retorts.

“He’s been happier and far more settled over the past few months than he ever was with Jessica, and the way he talks about her tells me everything I need to know. He’s an adult, making adult decisions, and out of all the children you’ve raised, he’s certainly turned out the best.”

“Hanna—” I try to cut in.

“Let me finish, please,” she implores. “He’s the most successful, the most grounded, and he has never, ever been a pain in your ass. You’ve never had to bail him out of jail; he’s never borrowed money. Even as a kid he didn’t get into trouble, so have a little faith that he can make a good decision when it comes to finding someone who balances him out.”

That seems to shut everyone up for half a second. Until our mother changes the subject, which is something she likes to do, especially when she’s wrong. “Are you going through a rebellious phase?”

“I’m thirty. I make seven million dollars a year, I live in a house that’s totally paid for, and I drive a Volvo. No, Mom, I’m not going through a rebellious phase.”

She purses her lips. “I don’t know that this girl is right for you.”

“With all due respect, Mom, you’ve never even met her, so whatever opinion you think you have is based on tabloid garbage, and it’s not your responsibility to make those kinds of decisions for me since I’m an independent adult.”

“Burn,” Gerald mutters.

No one tells him to shut up, because he’s right.

She purses her lips, clearly unhappy with the direction this conversation has taken, so she switches gears. “Are you doing this because we didn’t tell you about the adoption? You know, we decided as a family to raise you and Hanna and your brother as siblings, because it was better for Hanna, and for you. Both of your lives would’ve been so much harder otherwise. We were trying to save you from the stigma all of that would have brought with it.”

I should’ve known we’d come back to this. We’ve already had a family meeting about this, but it was right after I found out. I’ve had months to process it, to think about it, reflect on it. Months to let it eat at me and fester, and suddenly, in the face of all this drama, I realize I might not be over it quite the way I thought I was.