Page 71 of Closing the Distance

Before he can say anything else, I step up to him, but Mom is there in a heartbeat, her voice that stern mom voice that always made us kowtow as kids.

“Not here. I know you two have things to work out, but you will not do it in this room where Lana and Lexi need to rest and not be stressed out. Take it outside, right now.”

“I’m not leaving my girls,” I say, my voice low and threatening while my gaze remains locked on Tanner.

“It wasn’t a suggestion, Tyler,” Mom says, and then lower, “If you want to do best by your girls, take this outside.”

I finally rip my gaze away from Tanner to look at Mom, only for it to settle on Lexi instead, like two magnets snapping together. Her face is pale, her mouth parted, and tears fill her eyes.

Fuck. I never told her it was Tanner who leaked the story, and this sure as shit wasn’t how I wanted her to find out. I try to give her an apology with my eyes, but I’m not sure how effective it is, especially considering we have quite the audience at the moment.

Turning back to Tanner, I mumble, “Fine,” and gesture for him to go first. I’m sure as hell not leaving him in here with Lexi and Lana.

Once we’re out in the hall, I notice Mom is following us. She arches a brow. “What? You thought I was going to let you boys work this out unsupervised? I don’t think so. I know you both too well to think you can have a civil conversation right now without a mediator. I don’t care how old you are.”

I shake my head but don’t argue. There’s no point. She’s right. Already my fingers are twitching with the desire to just knock Tan on his ass and let him have it for the hell he’s put us through over the last few weeks.

We can’t go outside the hospital because the press are still an issue, so I ask a nurse where we can go and not be disturbed. She points to an extra waiting room that’s empty and has a door we can close. Once we step inside, I spin around and cross my arms over my chest, staring down the man I used to look up to and now can barely look at without wanting to punch him.

“Speak,” I demand.

He sets down the bouquet he’s still holding and drops his arms to his sides. “I really thought I was doing the right thing.” I scoff before he’s barely finished speaking. “Okay, maybe not with the press. That was uncalled for, and I’ll own that mistake. But I had good intentions looking into her past.”

“Intentions don’t mean shit when they cause the kind of harm you did.”

“You jumped in with both feet with this girl, Ty. You weren’t thinking clearly. One night with her and then she shows up saying she’s pregnant and you didn’t even seem to question it. She could’ve been playing you for all you were worth, and you were acting like her little lapdog.”

“She’s not like that,” I spit out, my body taut from holding myself back. I hate hearing him talk about Lexi like she’s anything less than amazing. “You don’t know her, so that meant I was an idiot for trusting her? Did it ever cross your mind to trust meto know enough about her?”

His jaw clenches, and remorse once again flashes in his eyes that are the same shade of brown as mine.

“Those paternity test results you were so on me about came in the morning the press broke the story. If you’d waited one fucking day… If you’d just trusted me.” I have to look away because it’s about more than what he did to Lexi, although that’s the biggest part.

It’s the slight against me. His actions showed how little faith he had in his own fucking brother.

“Ty,” his voice comes out hoarse.

When I look at him, his shoulders are slouched, his eyes shining with the possible sheen of tears, and his mouth turned down in a frown. “I’m sorry,” he chokes out. “I’ll say it over and over again until you believe me. I fucked up. I’ll own it. I’ll come forward with the press and explain. I’ll get them to stop talking about her.”

I step forward, my jaw tight. “You think I haven’t already tried? You set off a domino effect, Tan. There is nothing simple about ‘fixing it’ because if there were, I’d already have done it by now. You threw her entire life out there for the world to see. She’s at risk of losing her fucking job! She loves being a teacher, and now she might not be able to because of how people are looking at her. You know the power of the press. How fucking dare you put her through that.”

His hand grips the back of his neck, and I can practically feel the despair wafting off him, but it’s not enough.

The damage is done, and I don’t know if there’s any way he can fix it.

“Are you done?” I ask, my voice flat and devoid of emotion.

He swallows thickly, staring at me like he hopes I’ll magically forgive him.

I won’t.

A quick glance at Mom tells me she already knows how I feel and how hard this is for her to have two of her sons fighting.

“I’m going back to my girls,” I say and walk past him without another look.

FORTY-ONE

A few days later, we’re finally released from the hospital, and while I’m beyond happy to be home, I’m worried about Ty.

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