Jeff had been walking back and forth for a while, and he finally stopped to look at Brad. “You love her so fucking much that you told her to give up her child? You fucking deserve everything you’re getting. You love her? Listen to what you’re saying. Listen to the things you told her. You’re a fucking druggie asshole!” Jeff turned to walk away.
“Jeff! Stop.” I got up and reached for his arm.
He pulled it away and turned to look at Brad, who had tears rolling down his face.
“Jeff, I need help. I’m asking you as my friend…please help me get through this. Please,” Brad said in between sobs.
I dropped my grip on Jeff’s arm. He walked over to Brad, and Brad stood up.
Jeff grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. “Don’t worry, dude. We’re gonna get you and Amanda through this. I’m sorry, Brad. I’m so fucking sorry,” Jeff said while Brad kept repeating back how sorry he was.
Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Gramps.
“Gramps,” I said, stunned.
“My good friend, William Schmidt…do you remember him? Well, he has a son, Bryan, who runs a recovery center in Austin. I already called Bryan, and I sent you a text with the address. He’s waiting on y’all,” Gramps said, looking over toward Brad.
“How did you…I mean…how did you know, Gramps?”
“Son, I’ve had a friend or two in my lifetime who found themselves in trouble. Nobody in this world is free from making mistakes. Some mistakes are just grander than others.” Gramps slapped me on the back. “Y’all best get a move on before it gets too late,” he said before he turned and headed back to the house.
I turned around and looked at Brad and Jeff. They were just watching Gramps walk off.
“Holy fucking shit. I want that gift when I get older,” Jeff said.
Brad laughed for the first time tonight.
“Come on, let’s head out. I need to call Ellie to let her know what’s going on. Brad, do you want to call Amanda? Or do you want one of the girls to talk to her?”
Brad shook his head. “What the fuck do I tell her? Do I tell her everything? Over the fucking phone? I mean, she won’t even look at me, so—”
Jeff looked at Brad. “Dude, you tell her the truth ’cause that’s all you can do.”
Jeff called Ari while I was talking to Ellie about what was going on. Afterward, we headed out. I was driving Brad’s BMW while Jeff followed in his truck. Brad called Amanda as we got closer to Austin. I knew he didn’t want to tell her about the drugs or about Michele over the phone, but it was like he was opening a floodgate that had been closed for so long. Once he started, he couldn’t stop himself from spilling it all out. Listening to him pour his heart out killed me. I was gutted. My stomach dropped, and I thanked God for Ellie and Alex.
“Amanda, I was so scared, and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to tell you. I want nothing more than to have kids with you. I always have, baby. Please…oh god, please don’t say that to me. I’m so sorry, baby…please don’t leave me, Amanda, please. I don’t care about her, and it was just a stupid kiss. I love you, and I’ll get off the drugs. I swear to God, I’ll be there for you and our baby,” Brad begged.
When he hung up, he placed his head on the back of the seat.
“What did she say, Brad?”
“She told me she’ll see me tomorrow at the rehab center, but she needed time to let everything sink in. She said she hates me, Gunner. She hates me,” Brad said as he looked out the window. “Gunner?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think she’ll ever be able to forgive me? I mean, I can see her forgiving me for the drugs, but the kiss, and then that night she got pregnant…”
“Would you forgive her?” I asked as I quickly glanced toward him.
Brad stared out the window for the longest time before turning back to me. “I would. I would forgive her because I love her so much. I…I can’t lose her, Gun. I don’t want to live without her. I can’t live without her,” he said as his tears came again.
I took a deep breath as I pulled in and parked in Josh’s driveway. So much had happened in the last three weeks.
Brad had entered rehab for his drug addiction. Amanda had moved out of their house and moved in with me while she tried to sort everything out in her head. Josh had been released from the hospital, and he was staying with his parents. Josh’s dad had taken over the business while Josh was still recovering.
And Victoria…ugh, that bitch. Every time I turned around, she was calling Josh, texting Josh, coming to “check up on Josh.”
I hate her more than anything. She makes Lynda look like an angel.
As I stared at her car sitting in the driveway, my hands gripped the steering wheel just a little harder.
Great. Just what I needed. I already feel like I’m getting the flu. Now, I have to look at her fucking face.
One of the reasons I came over was because Josh’s birthday was coming up, and his mother wanted to plan a party for him. It was still awkward for both Josh and me. I was trying to give him the room and space he’d asked for, and he was trying his best to take things slow even though I could tell he wanted to be with me as much as I was dying to be with him.
I started walking up the steps when I heard the door open and close. I saw Elizabeth with a pissed-off look on her face. She came down the steps like she was mad as hell.
“Follow me, baby girl,” she said, storming past me.
I heard the door open again, and I looked back to see Josh standing there.
“Hey! I’m so glad you stopped by,” he said as he flashed that damn smile at me.
Ugh...that dimple. I just wanted to run into his arms. I smiled, but then it quickly faded when I saw Victoria walking up behind him.
“Hey, Smeather,” she said with a laugh.
She’d taken to the habit of calling me Smeather even though I’d asked her fifty times to please call me Heather. I had no idea why in the hell she called me that.
Just then, I felt Elizabeth grab my arm and pull me along with her.
“Mom, wait! Please, Mom, let’s talk about this,” Josh called out.
I looked behind me to see Victoria waving at me before she turned and went back into the house.
Yep, I hate her.
“Elizabeth, what the hell is going on? You seem so pissed?”
“Oh my god, I’m gonna punch that girl square in the face.” She came to a stop and spun around.
“What happened?”
“She just shows up when she pleases. Day or night, she just comes to the house whenever she feels like it,” Elizabeth said, her hands flying all over the place.
Oh god. I feel sick to my stomach. I had gone back to Fredericksburg since Christmas break was over, and school started back up again, so I wasn’t around as much as I wanted to be. During the break, I had stayed at the cottage on Ari’s parents’ property, so I could be at the hospital as much as possible.
“Oh,” was all I could get out.
“I’m ready to run over her with my car,” Elizabeth said with the most serious face I’d ever seen.
I couldn’t help it, but I let out a laugh. “Is that why you’re so mad?” I asked.
“No. I knew you were on your way over, and I told Josh. I said it would probably be best if the bitch, um…Victoria left before you got here.”
I waited for her to continue. “Okay,” I said, trying to prompt her into going on.
She took a deep breath. “Josh, stupid ass son of mine, doesn’t see what this girl is up to, but I do. She’s after my son, and she doesn’t seem to care who she pushes out of the way to get to him. I’ve never in my life met a girl like this. I’m ready to slap a restraining order on her ass.”