Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2)(52)

Willow

Cage saw me the minute he exited the dugout. Frowning, he made his way over to me. I’d never come to his practice before. I could see the question and concern on his face.

“Low, what’s wrong?” He asked when he reached me. I felt the sob inside me well up and I covered my mouth to silence it. His eyes widened and he reached for my hand.

“Come on,” he said pulling me with him. Away from the curious eyes of his teammates. He led us straight to his car and opened the passenger side door.

“Get in.”

I didn’t argue. I climbed in. the familiar smell of safety surrounded me and my eyes filled with tears. Cage would always be my safe place. Because once Marcus knew the truth, I was going to lose him. He was going to leave me too. And I didn’t blame him.

Cage climbed into the driver’s seat then turned to look at me.

“What happened and whose ass do I need to beat?”

I shook my head, “No ones. Oh Cage it’s awful. It’s worse than I could’ve ever even imagined.”

“Nothing’s that bad baby. Ever. And if it is I’ll fix it.”

“You can’t fix this Cage. This is unfixable.”

“Nothing’s unfixable”

“Larissa and Marcus have the same father,” I yelled fisting my hands over my eyes as another sob rattled my chest.

Silence.

I’d rendered him speechless.

“The married man Tawny’s been screwing is Marcus’s father. Jefferson HARDY just left his wife for my sister.”

“Fuck.”

I dropped my hands in my lap and looked at Cage’s horrified expression. “How do you know? I mean how did you find out? Does Marcus know?”

“She met me outside my class today. Driving a brand new Mercedes SUV. Told me that Larissa’s daddy had left his wife and they were moving to Mobile. He’d bought them a fancy new house and he was moving in with them. Then she handed me a check for what she called debt she owed me and left.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the check and handed it to Cage.

“Holy Mother.”

“Look who wrote me the check Cage. Not the amount.”

He lifted his blue eyes to me, “Low, baby, I’m so sorry. She just keeps f*cking your life up.”

“I knew he had family problems and I knew he hated his dad and he was worried about his mother. But God, Cage I’d have never in a million years have guessed this.”

Cage reached over and grasped my hand in his, “I’m here. You got me. You know that.”

I knew that. But it wasn’t my losing Cage I was worried about.

“I need to talk to her, him, both of them. I need to go see Tawny and Jefferson, Marcus’s dad. I have to find a way to tell Marcus and not lose him. I can’t lose him Cage.”

Cage cranked up the car, “Buckle up and type their address into my GPS.” I quickly did as I was told then lay my head back on the seat, closed my eyes and prayed I’d find a way to make this okay.





It was dark when we pulled up to the large two story brick home inside the gated golf course community that my sister and niece now lived. Cage pulled into their driveway and I sat staring up at the home in front of me. Lights were on in almost every room in the house. They were here. It was time to find some answers. To understand what had happened. I just needed some way to keep Marcus. I glanced down at my phone again. Marcus hadn’t texted me since his last text two hours ago telling me his mother was doing fine. He hadn’t explained what happened. I thought I’d heard his sister say something about calling 911 but apparently that hadn’t happened. Amanda must’ve overreacted. If his mother had gone to the hospital he’d have told me. He’d have wanted me there.

“Come on. Let’s go do this,” Cage said opening my car door. I’d been so lost in thought I hadn’t even noticed he’d gotten out of the car. I stood up and we walked to the front double doors together. Seeing those two large double doors reminded me of the other house this man owned. The one where he’d raised Amanda and Marcus. The one he’d abandoned.

I reached out and pressed the doorbell then waited.

Jefferson Hardy opened the door. A surprised expression lit his eyes as he stood back .

“Willow, please come in. Larissa was just talking about you.”

He remembered my name.

I stepped inside and Cage was right behind me.

“Who is it?” Tawny asked as she appeared at the top of the large elegant wooden staircase. She froze and her gaze shifted from me to Cage and back.

“Low what’re you doing here?”

She was annoyed. Good. I was devastated.

“I need to talk to you,” I turned to look back at Jefferson, “and him.”

Jefferson and Tawny exchanged looks while I waited.

“Okay, well Tawny why don’t you get Larissa and come on down here. She’ll be thrilled to see Willow.” This man was playing house so easily. As if he hadn’t just abandoned another family. The one he’d had for more years than Tawny had been alive.

“Follow me,” Jefferson said smiling at me and then turned to lead us down a hallway and then into a large living room already furnished with several large leather chairs big enough for two and a huge sectional sofa. The largest flatscreen I’d ever seen hung on the wall and a gas fire crackled in the fire place. Wasn’t this just cozy.