Until the End (Sea Breeze #9)(53)

“Hey Lowlow,” she said as she stood up. She ran over to me and threw herself into my arms. She held on extra tight and I squeezed back. She was six now, and she knew something was wrong. “I love you bunches,” I told her.

“I love you more bunches,” she said, and my heart broke a little more. How could Tawny leave her? More than once in my life I had hated my sister. This was one of those times.

“We’re making cookies. You want to help Eli and me finish them up?” I asked her. She pulled back and nodded excitedly.

“YAY!” Eli cheered, and ran from the room back toward the kitchen.

Larissa giggled, and I stood up. Her little hand reached up and slipped into mine. Her little grasp was tight, and I held on to her just as tightly as we followed Eli back into the kitchen.

Marcus

When I pulled into my mother’s driveway, my father’s truck was already there. What was he doing? The jackass comes running to my mom for help when his current wife leaves him? Dammit!

I jumped out of my truck and slammed the door before stalking up to the house. I didn’t knock. I just opened the door and walked inside. I could hear their voices from the living room, so I headed that way. My dad better have had a f**king good reason for coming over here. And when I say good reason, it better be because Tawny’s sorry ass was here hiding in the garage. If that wasn’t the reason, then he was getting my fist in his face.

My mother didn’t need this bullshit.

“I thought she said it was fine. She was good with the divorce,” I heard my mother say. I stopped walking.

“I heard the door. Wait,” my dad demanded, before appearing in the hallway. Our gazes locked.

“I need an explanation. Now,” I commanded.

Dad let out a sigh and ran his hand through his short hair. “I shoulda figured you would be coming over here.”

“That ain’t an answer, Dad,” I snapped.

Mother stepped out into the hall, saw me, and sighed. “Hello, honey. Come on in and sit down, you two. Might as well tell him everything, Jeff,” she said as if this was all normal.

Nothing about my parents talking calmly in the same house was normal. He had ripped my mother’s life apart and sent Amanda into a depression when he’d gotten Tawny pregnant and run off with her. Now, four years later, he’s hanging out in the house I grew up in like this was totally okay. It wasn’t f**king okay.

“Fine,” he replied, and turned to follow my mother back into the living room.

I watched as my dad did exactly as my mother said.

Beyond confused, I went into the living room.

“Sit down, Marcus,” my mother said, pointing to the sofa across from the one she and my father had sat down on.

“No, Mom, I think I’ll stand,” I replied, shoving my hands into my pockets and staring at my parents like they were aliens. Which was how they were currently acting.

“Jeff, you start,” Mother said, and leaned back, crossing her legs. She was completely composed.

“Tawny and I were getting a divorce. She had . . .” He stopped and looked at my mother, who nodded for him to continue. Then he turned his attention back to me. “She had found out I was coming here the nights I got home late. I admitted to her that she was a mistake I had made during a hard time in my marriage. I wasn’t in love with her. Larissa was the only reason we were together.” Dad held up his hands and shrugged like this was okay. “She took it well. She said she hated being married and trying to live up to the expectations set by your mother. Not that she ever came close. She wanted out too. She agreed to joint custody of Larissa. She was thrilled over it, although she tried to hide it. I had the paperwork drawn up and everything was going smoothly. Until she found out yesterday that the prenup she had signed said that if we have joint custody of Larissa, she will not get child support. I will take care of all Larissa’s needs, but I won’t give Tawny money. It also states that she doesn’t get anything—no money at all from me. I told her that I would leave her the house in Mobile because I wanted Larissa to have a safe home when she was with her mother. Tawny screamed that she needed more than that and didn’t want to be stuck in that house in Mobile.” When he stopped, my mother reached over and wrapped one of her perfectly manicured hands around his. As if this were some insane dream, my father opened his palm and threaded his fingers through my mother’s. What the f**k?

I pointed at him, then at my mother. “Are you saying . . . that you’ve been here like BEEN here?” I asked, my voice raised.

Mother looked almost guilty, and my father squeezed her hand. “Yes, Marcus. That’s what I mean. I’ve been in love with your mother for the largest portion of my life. When work stress got to me and I was working more than I was at home, I made a mistake that would have destroyed most families. But your mother was there for you kids. She kept the three of you together and helped you heal.”

I stared at my mother. “And you’re just . . . letting him back in?” I asked, remembering the days I had held her while she cried and I swore I would hate my father for the rest of my life.

“I didn’t let him in easily, if that’s what you’re thinking. He worked for it for a while. But I love your father. A small portion of what happened was my fault too. I had neglected his needs and put my organizations above him. I’m not giving him an excuse, because what he did wasn’t excusable, and I swore I’d never forgive him. But I have found that when you love someone, you can forgive just about anything. Eventually.”