Page 96 of Synced to Us

He responds through his teeth, “You’ve done enough, bitch—”

“Finish that sentence. I dare you,” Wyn says.

“Bradford,” May breathes.

Brad looks off in the direction of his kids, playing ignorantly in the grass, chasing dandelion seeds. He works his jaw. “I’ve—I have a mistress.”

Lucy bursts into sobs, drawing Brad’s gaze. To his minimal credit, he sags with shame.

“Actually, no, I have a woman I’m in love with,” Brad amends. “I’m so sorry, Luce—”

Lucy storms over and slaps him across the face. “You bastard!”

“I didn’t know how to tell you! It wasn’t serious at first. She was just a substitute teacher, and we hit it off at lunch. But then lunch turned into dinners, and—”

“I don’t want to hear it!” Lucy can barely contain herself, every limb trembling. She whirls, tracking the twins, then going to them and trying her best to tell them calmly that they need to go inside and pack for a fun sleepover at grandpa’s.

“Lucy, no. Wait!” Brad says, scuttling after her.

He gets maybe three feet before Wyn’s arm swings out and he tackles his brother to the ground.

“Winston! Bradford!” May screams, running from the other side of the table. Lucy grabs the twins, covers their eyes, and sprints inside.

I’m torn between helping Lucy and breaking up the fight, but I’m the closest to Wyn and Brad, so I jump on Wyn’s back. “Wyn! You can’t!”

Wyn wraps one arm around my leg, sliding me off—gently. He looks truly sorry when he catches my eye, and says, “Oh, but I can.”

Wyn uses his other hand to keep Brad down by the throat. “Here’s how this’ll go down, brother.”

My heart rate climbs out from my ears at his too calm tone.

“You can go to this mistress of yours. Hell, live with her and never come back. Use the money you’ve stolen because you’re not getting one cent more as of this moment. Lucy will be better off without you. Same with Ma. And me, well, we both know how I’m feeling right about now.” Wyn brings his face closer. “The only money you’ll be seeing from me from here on out is the fees I’m going use to pay Lucy’s divorce lawyer.”

“B-b-but my kids…”

Wyn sniffs, taking the moment to keep calm. “We’re both well aware of what it’s like without a father. It’s up to Lucy on what she wants to do, but I won’t keep them from you. Consider that my final benevolence, you fucker.”

Wyn pushes to his feet and helps me up. He holds my hand as we head to his mother, who’s collapsed into a chair with a hand over her mouth.

He kneels in front of her. “This has been a lot for you. I’m sorry, Ma.”

She sniffles. “I don’t want your apologies, young man. What I need is a—hug.”

Wyn lifts his mother off her feet in a tight embrace. Her hands curl against his back, stretching the fabric of his shirt.

I rub between Wyn’s shoulders, letting him know I’m here, but drift away to give them space.

Brad untangles himself from the ground, rubs his eye where Wyn probably landed a punch, and picks grass out of his hair. He glances once at me and flicks his gaze away, stalking around the house until he disappears.

He doesn’t say goodbye to his mother on his way out.

“Dee? Please come here.”

Wyn and May have separated, and it’s May’s voice requesting I come back. I do, but with hesitant steps.

“I can’t say I’m wholly on board with what you do,” May admits. “Or that I can make any sense of what just occurred. All I know is, you’re helping my boy become whole. I can’t ask any more of that while I focus on the boy who’s fractured.”

I nod in understanding, but May isn’t done. “I’ve learned to let a lot of my prejudices go, but sadly, what I thought I released ended up sinking into my sons. Please don’t think any less of this family after what you’ve seen—or will see. We have a lot of work to do.”

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