Page 66 of A Sudden Romance

“Seriously, Julia?” Nate held out his palms. “Have you forgotten Mom’s career?”

“Yeah,” Hailey cut in. “It’s not like we expect a psychiatrist to miss anything gone wrong, especially in her kids’ lives.”

“Julia.” Logan spoke firmly. “You’re looking for a battle where there’s none.”

“Logan’s right.” Nate stood and came to stand behind Iris, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Since when did we drift from the game of charades to who told who and whatnot?”

Booming voices resounded as her brothers tried to silence Julia.

“It’s always about Iris in this house.” Julia threw her arms up in the air. “I’m always the bad guy while the little princess gets away with anything—even when she and the chef almost burned down the kitchen.”

“Knock it off, Julia!” Logan shouted.

Tears burned the back of Iris’s eyelids. She could barely register Serafina’s comforting hand on her back as she felt the walls closing in on her.

She didn’t grasp what else her sister was ranting about, but she heard all her siblings fire shots at Julia and come to Iris’s defense as usual.

“It’s so uncalled for,” Hailey said.

“Don’t listen to her,” Wade ordered.

“We need a family meeting,” Logan said.

“Have you considered a shrink?”

“Cheap shot...”

Then everything seemed foggy as tears blinded her vision. Even the bright Christmas tree and the curtain of lights by the glass door weren’t as cheery as they’d seemed earlier.

No wonder Julia couldn’t stand Iris most of the time. While Julia believed Iris betrayed her, she deserved the chance to unleash her anger without their brothers choosing Iris’s side.

Iris tried to understand what her siblings had been through as children. Perhaps they still dealt with childhood trauma. Another reason the guys were overprotective, but she could handle her own battles. Which was why she stood, needing to be alone.

She leaped up and staggered out of the room.

“Iris, wait!” Logan shouted. Then several footsteps thudded in pursuit. As she entered the main room, she swallowed, keeping her tears in check. Then she spun to face them and spoke through a lump in her throat. “Can I be alone, please?”

Nate, Logan, and Wade looked at each other before nodding their understanding. It wasn’t until they walked back that she proceeded through the main room and toward the hallway.

She slid on the easiest shoes she could grab then realized her toes all but floated in them. Shoes were the least of her worries. She stumbled outside, and cool air whipped her face. It didn’t matter. She needed an escape to the only place no one would guess she’d be—the workshop on the east side of the garages.

The garages’ security lights radiated enough light for her to approach the wooden door. It creaked open, and the sensor lights turned on. Closing the door behind her, she shut herself into a room seemingly thirty degrees cooler. She reached for the heater switch on the cedar panel next to the door. The cedar scent always soothed her, but nothing could help now with Julia’s sharp words slicing into her mind.

She slumped onto the wooden bench she’d made with Dad years ago. Lifting her feet in front of her, she folded her legs until her knees touched her chin. Then she rubbed her hands on her arms to keep warm.

The little princess. She cleared the lump still lodged in her throat. Was she so spoiled that Julia needed to lash out at her every so often?

She couldn’t imagine life as an only child, but on days like today, she almost wished Julia was just a stranger so she wouldn’t have to face her tomorrow. She closed her eyes, wincing. Since when did she think like that?

A tear plunged out of her eye, and she wiped it away.

How was she supposed to play the role of a good sister when she was trampled on just because of her birth order! Of course, she loved Julia, but her sister ran hot, then cold, and Iris never knew how to handle their relationship.

Or did it have to do with her being the only biological child? Feeling the odd man out, she hugged her knees tighter. At least, she had friends to confide in, friends who prayed with and for her.

What she wouldn’t give to call and talk to one of them right now! Not only did she not have her phone but also with her friends all married, calling them this late wasn’t right.

With tear-filled eyes, she sniffled and eyed the scattered wood, the unfinished chair in the corner, and the table saw dusty from years of disuse. Her heart felt as messy as the workshop.

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