Overtime(64)

He didn’t have to wait long for her to whisper, “Yeah, you’re right.”

Thank God!

He knew she still loved him. There was no getting over what they had, but his mistake had broken her, and it was his job to fix what he had done. He knew that going in, but hearing how badly he’d hurt her when she wasn’t aware he was listening was really heartbreaking. He’d never meant to cause so much pain. He was stupid and drunk.

God, he was so f*cked up.

“I know, and I also know what it’s like to have your heart broken. But remember this, if I hadn’t given Karson a second chance, would I be sitting here looking at you right now?”

Kacey scoffed. “Lacey, he broke your heart because your dad made him. Jordie broke mine because I wasn’t enough.”

Whoa, what?

Lifting his head, he opened his eyes, fully intending to go in there and set her straight. She was way more than enough for him, she was more than he deserved—he just had been too stupid to realize what he’d had in his arms. But before he could, his gaze met that of a very angry Karson and he froze. Karson didn’t freeze though. He pulled his arm back, his face full of anger, and Jordie swore everything was moving in slo-mo.

Because right before Karson’s fist connected with his mouth, he was able to say, “Well, shit.”





“You broke her heart!” Karson yelled, his fist connecting with Jordie’s mouth again. Jordie’s head whipped back, hitting the wall before he held his hand up, stopping Karson as he wiped his mouth with his other hand. “I should kill you! I trusted you! You told me it was one time and done, but obviously, it was more if you broke her heart. That means she loves your f*cking ass!” Pushing Jordie’s hand out of the way, Karson’s fist connected, this time to his jaw, and Jordie swore he saw stars.

“Oh my God, Karson, stop,” Lacey shrieked before stepping between them and holding her hands up. “Stop, they are adults. These things happen between adults!”

“Not between my best friend and my baby sister!”

“I am a grown-up and I do what I want, Karson! Shut up!” Kacey yelled. “I can’t believe you actually hit him. I can care for myself, you big jerk!”

“I am defending your honor!” he spat back as Jordie tried to get his bearings. That last hook really did a number.

“What the hell is going on?” Karl yelled.

“Oh my goodness, Karson! Jordie, your mouth. Kacey, get a rag!” Regina yelled, coming to his aid. “What is going on?!”

“He broke Kacey’s heart!” Karson yelled, trying to come at him again, but Karl stopped him.

“And like your wife said, they are adults. It’s none of your f*cking business, now stop!” Karl yelled, his booming voice shaking even Jordie’s bones.

Regina looked at Jordie and then to Kacey. “Kacey Marie, what in the world? You two were together?”

“Yes, Ma! Obviously!” Kacey yelled. “What is wrong with all of you? Why is everything such an ordeal all the damn time? And why is my love life always on blast?”

Ignoring her outburst, Regina looked to Jordie and glared. “You broke my baby’s heart?”

“I did, but—”

Before he could finish, Regina slapped him across the face, causing Kacey to cry out, “Ma! Jesus!”

“He broke your heart,” she said simply, throwing the rag she had at him and walking away.

Looking at Kacey, Jordie scoffed. “Very violent family you have,” he said and she shot him a deadpan look.

“Shut up,” she snapped. “And can everyone just calm the hell down?”

“No, not until I beat the shit out of him,” Karson yelled, his chest puffed up, his eyes wild. Jordie had always known it wasn’t going to go over well when Karson found out, he’d even expected it to come to blows, but the anger in Karson’s eyes was scary.

He could actually lose his best friend.

Holding his hands up, he said, “Karson, buddy, listen to me. I deserve everything you’ve done, and more. I do. But you can’t beat me up any more than I already have. I f*cked up.”

“What else is new? You always f*ck up!” Karson yelled, and that hurt. Looking away, Jordie nodded.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry isn’t good enough! She should never feel like she isn’t enough!”

“Absolutely,” Jordie said. Turning to Kacey, he reached out, taking her elbow in his hand, running his thumb along it. “You were always too good for me. Always more than enough. I was too f*cked up to see it. I’m pretty sure I told you I was gonna regret hurting you that day, and I have. Ever since you walked out the door.”

When she looked away, moving her elbow out of his grasp, he looked to Karson. “Bro, I’m sorry.”

Karson went to say something, but Lacey stopped him. “We forgave him. Everything he did all those months ago. Together we did, and you told me we can’t go back on it. That was old Jordie,” she reiterated, and to Jordie’s surprise, when Karson looked down at her, his expression softened. “We said that nothing mattered except his actions from the moment he apologized.”

“But he never told me about this.”

“Because he was embarrassed and also a little f*cked up from it. They have their own issues, and who are you to get mad about it? What will that fix? He made the mistake. He’s the one who has to live with it.”