Page 114 of Rebel Romeo

I clamped my hands to my hips, doing my best to stay calm. “I’m not cheating on Katherine,” I managed to say through gnashed teeth.

“Oh really?” Her eyes flick down to my desk. To the trash can.

“Yes, really. If I was cheating, would I have thrown the picture away? Would I have bothered to kick Addison out of my bedroom? No. I wouldn’t have.”

Bending, my mom reaches into a drawer I didn’t realize was open and yanks out Katherine’s panties I’d bought from her, still in their ziplock bags. “Then what the hell are these, Holden? If you’re not a cheating bastard like your father, why do you have panties in your drawer?”

Shocked, I blinked down at the open drawer.

While it’s plausible I left my bedroom door ajar, I definitely would not have left that drawer open.

Never.

My journal was tucked just beneath some of them, too.

Fuck.

My fucking journal was just there for anyone to read…

And with Addison in this room for God knew how long before we got here.

“Kate is sweet,” Mom said, “I liked her from the first moment when she couldn’t be bought off to stay away from you.” My mom’s eyes were bright despite the alcohol. A rarity for her. Usually they were cloudy when she was drunk.

My head pounded as I tried to make sense of today. “She is sweet. Katherine is truly the nicest person I’ve ever met. And I’m not cheating on her,” I tried to explain, running my palms down my face. But I was distracted, my gaze still locked on the open drawer. Thoughts swam in my mind. What did Addison read? What did she see? How much did she know?

“I love you, Holden,” Mom said, her voice raspy and hoarse. “I love you so much. But if you truly care about this girl, then you need to get rid of her before you ruin her like your father ruined me.”

Her words stung, slapping me in the face.

But it was the truth in them that hurt the most.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the pain of what my mom said. “You’re wrong. Katherine’s different. She’s nothing like you. She’s strong. You really think I could fall in love with a woman like you?”

Mom stumbled back like I’d slapped her. “A weak woman, right? I’m weak for letting your dad cheat on me. I’m weak for letting your grandfather take advantage of me. I’m weak for not being able to say no to a martini. But at least I know my flaws. I don’t pretend to be a good person. But you know who does? Your father.” Pausing, she tossed the sandwich bag onto the floor by my feet. “And apparently, you.”

I stared at the bag that landed on the toe of my shoe. “I love you, Mom… but sometimes I also really fucking hate you.”

“Of course you do,” she said, her voice hauntingly void of any emotion. “As I said before, you’re your father’s son. I was once a strong, sweet girl like Kate. I was a virgin when I met your father. I never touched alcohol until… well, you know the rest.” Spinning to leave, she balanced briefly against my door before adding, “I’ll get an Uber to the hotel.”

I couldn’t bring myself to stop her. I couldn’t find the energy to chase after her.

I fell to a seat on the edge of my bed, dropping my face into my palms.

Katherine was different.

She had to be different.

Because if she wasn’t, if my mom was right, then neither of us would survive this. And there’s no way in hell I was going to stand idly by and watch Katherine turn into my mother.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

I wake up with Holden between my legs, his tongue on my clit and fingers buried inside me.

It’s the best wake up call I’ve had in years. Maybe my whole life.

Twenty minutes later, as Holden showers, I start the coffee for the both of us, then we switch and I shower and get ready for rehearsal. When I come out of the bathroom, fully dressed, I startle at the sight of Holden standing in my kitchen, sipping a cup of coffee with Nolan.

I blink, looking between the two men and my gaze drops to a pillow and blanket tucked under Nolan’s arm. “What’s going on here?” Nervously, I glance at Jill’s closed bedroom door.

---