Allie took the tray to the girls’ room. With her hands full, she kicked the door gently with her foot. “Brynn, open up.”
Brynn opened the door and preceded Allie to the bed, tumbled onto it, and pulled a pillow over her face. “I hate my life.”
Allie set the tray on the bedside table and pulled the pillow off Brynn. “We all hate our lives at one point or another. But you’ll get through this, Brynnie.”
“What’s to hate about your life? It seems pretty perfect from where I’m sitting.”
The man Allie loved not only didn’t love her back, but he didn’t believe in the emotion, had been permanently scarred by his parents and ex-girlfriend. She hadn’t heard from Monica in weeks, and she wasn’t talking to her dad. Yeah, things were great.
“Nobody’s life is perfect. And you will get through this. What I want to know is”—she hopped on the bed next to Brynn, making the mattress bounce—“why you got in a fight in the first place.”
“Stupid Layla. She said that the only reason I got an A on my paper was because my dad was fuc…er, boinking Ms. Castor. I said my command of the English language probably helped, and that if she would come up for air, instead of blowing half the football team, maybe she would pass the class.”
Allie sat in shock, her eyes wide. “Brynn, you don’t talk like that.”
“Well, I won’t anymore. One time I mouth off, I get in trouble. Dad is going to kill me.”
“No, he’s not. He might ground you, but kill you? No, it’s too hard to hide a body.”
Brynn fell back on the bed and gave an almost laugh.
“So, you threw the first punch?” Allie asked.
“No, someone pushed me into Layla, and she thought I hit her, and well, you know the rest. The algebra teacher, Mrs. McCrady, saw me get physical first, so it was my fault. I tried to tell them what happened, but it didn’t do any good.”
Brynn picked up the pillow and held it over her face again. Allie closed her eyes and lay quietly next to her sister for a while. Finally, she rallied.
“Try and eat something, hon.” She climbed off the bed and made her way to the living room.
Trevor sat in the big easy chair, glaring at his father. Nigel untwisted an Oreo and licked the creamy center.
“These biscuits are delicious, Allison. We should get some of these at home, Son.”
Trevor’s face became a frozen mask. “I assume you mean your own home? Because you are not coming back to mine.”
“Trevor, can I talk to you in the kitchen, please?” Allie asked.
His cold, gray eyes shifted to her. “Oh, yes. You and I are going to talk, make no mistake about that.” He stood and swept past her to the kitchen.
Nigel winked at her. “Good luck, love. It’s best to nod and look earnest when he’s like this.”
Heart beating double time, Allie followed Trevor to the kitchen. He strode toward the sink, his back to her.
“I don’t like people fucking with my life, Allison.” His voice was completely calm and polite, but his back was tense.
She said nothing.
“I won’t tolerate it.” Slowly, he turned and gave her a cold smile. “Do we understand one another?”
Allie felt herself nodding.
“Good.” He started walking away, but Allie held up a hand.
“Wait, no I don’t understand. How am I fucking with your life?”
He stopped. “I finally got rid of the old man, and Mags was on her way out too, but you interfered. You stopped her from leaving. Don’t bother to deny it.” His voice was dripping with icy displeasure.
“I wasn’t going to. Yes, I talked Mags into staying. She thinks you hate her, Trevor. Is that how you want to leave things with your mom? I know she wasn’t perfect, but she loves you and she wants to make it up to you.”
He glared at her, like she was something disgusting. “I know you don’t understand, because you had a different set of circumstances with your parents, but stay out of it. I don’t care how she feels, and there is no making up for the past.”
“Nigel told me about Anna. I’m so sorry.”
“Why should you be sorry? It’s that wanker out there who should be sorry.”
She craned her head to gaze up at him. “He is, Trevor. He’s been trying to apologize, but he doesn’t know how.”
He stepped closer. “Mind your business, Miss Campbell. You have enough trouble with your own fucking family. Some things are better left in the past.”
She planted her palm on her forehead. “But can’t you see the past still affects you? You’re angry and you have a right to be, but maybe, if you give them a chance—”
“I’m done with this conversation.” He stalked to the back door but spun around to glare at her. “I suppose you think I’m damaged. You tell me you love me, and voilà, I’m a changed man.” He said something low and vicious under his breath and stepped toward her, clasped the back of her neck and pulled her close, until her breasts were pressed against his chest. “Well, I’m fine. I don’t need to change. And I don’t want your love. Keep it. Look at what it’s got you. You loved your family so goddamned much, you sold your body to me.”
“I think you’d better get the hell out of my house,” Brian Campbell said.
Allie wrenched out of Trevor’s grasp and glanced at her father, watched his face harden. Horror and shame filled her.
“Gladly.” Trevor exited the kitchen, brushing his arm against Brian’s shoulder.
Allie flinched when the front door slammed.
Chapter 22
Allie staggered to the kitchen table and collapsed into a chair. Burying her head in her hands, she fought back tears. She didn’t want to see the disappointment in her father’s eyes.
She heard him approach, heard the bottom of the chair scrape against the outdated linoleum. “Al, look at me, honey.”
She shook her head and kept her hands over her eyes. He firmly, but gently, pried them away.
“Is what he said true? Did you sacrifice yourself for us?”
Allie didn’t know what to say. Her heart felt like it had been smashed into a million pieces.
“I’m so sorry, Allison. I should have seen it. I should have known his offer was too good to be true.” He let go of her hands. “I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.”
“Unless I’m very much mistaken, your daughter loves my son-of-a-bitch son. So I don’t think killing him is a good option right now.” Nigel stood in the doorway, his gaze scanning the kitchen and landing on Allie.
“How much did you hear?” Allie asked, her stomach a tangle of knots.
“All of it.” He stepped into the room. “Do you love him?”
She took a deep, ragged breath and nodded. “So much.”
“He loves you too. He’s just too bullheaded to know it. I’m going to call Mags. She’ll know what to do.” He walked back to the living room.
“I’m sorry, Dad.” She felt drained and empty.
He kissed the top of her head. “You have nothing to be sorry for, darlin’.”
“Brynn was suspended from school today.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I better go talk to her. I really let you kids down. Your mom would be so ashamed.” His chin trembled slightly.
“No she wouldn’t. She would never be ashamed of you. But she’d be so disappointed in me.”
He leaned away, a pained look on his face. “That’s not true. She’s proud of you, Al, and so am I. Everything you’ve done was for this family. You took over when I was too weak to do what was right.” Turning, he sniffed and cleared his throat as he hustled out of the room.
Allie didn’t know how long she sat in the kitchen, but she blinked when the overhead light turned on and Mags walked into the room in a swath of yellow silk.
She pulled Allie up and swept her into a hug. “My son is a beast, darling. Go on now, let it all out. There’s a good girl.” Mags patted Allie’s back as the tears that had threatened since Trevor left finally fell.
When Allie was all cried out, she rubbed her nose on the back of her wrist. “He doesn’t love me.”