Page 91 of Stealing Home

I grunt, not taking my eyes off of Harlow. I don’t want to make the mistake twice of looking too long at my three-year-long mistake.

“Scar,” I call out. She steps up beside us.

“Yeah, big bro?”

“I want to introduce you to my girlfriend, Harlow.”

Her brow furrows. “We do not talk often enough. Okay,” she holds up her hand, “I’m processing all of this. You have a girlfriend. A super hot girlfriend.”

“Rein it in, Scar.”

My sister shrugs. “What? I’m bi, and your girlfriend is hot. But what I don’t understand is why dad suggested I bring Mara home with me.”

My fists clench at my sides. “That’s because he wants to break us up.”

Her green eyes open wide with shock. I can understand her confusion, I certainly didn’t expect this reaction from him either. He’s never been anything short of supportive before. But then again I didn’t rebel, never drank or snuck out. I suppose it’s pretty easy to support your children when they are doing what you want and expect them to do.

Mara puts her hand on my shoulder, and I shrug it off. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

“I have nothing to say to you,” I tell her. And I don’t. For a long time I imagined what it would be like for her to come crawling back to me. I dreamed of a lot of scenarios where I told her about all the girls I’ve been with since she decided to spread her legs for someone else. Now that the moment is here, I find I don’t really care. I don’t need her regrets to feel better. Surprisingly, I don’t care about her either way.

“I don’t hate you,” I say softly.

“Then let’s go for a drive like the old times. We can catch up. I miss you, Scott,” she says, smiling slightly.

I shake my head. “I think you misunderstand me. I do forgive you. I’ve let go of my anger, and I wish you well, but I don’t care to ever see you again.”

She gasps. “But if you forgive me, why can’t we talk this out? You loved me once, you could love me again.”

I inhale slowly through my nose. Was she always this dense? “Just because I don’t actively hate you anymore doesn’t mean I want to be with you. I don’t want to be cruel, but I don’t think I actually loved you. Not in a lasting way at least. Not the way I love Harlow. I hope you find it someday, then you’ll understand.”

Mara runs back to my sister’s car and locks herself inside. Scarlett groans. “Looks like I’m going to have to drop her off at her parent’s place.”

“Sorry, Scar,” I say, but I’m not actually sorry. She should have checked with me before she brought my cheating ex-girlfriend around.

Of course, I haven’t shared all the details with my family. Maybe if I did, my dad wouldn’t have brought back the one person who has hurt me more than anyone else. Well, that was until this stunt he’s pulled. I’d say they’re neck-and-neck for who has betrayed me the most.

Grabbing Low’s hands, I focus my attention back on her. “Low, I need to go talk to my dad. Will you please wait here? Don’t run off, or call an Uber. Just wait a few minutes for me to let him know his plan backfired and that I don’t want to talk to him for a while.”

She starts shaking her head. “You promised you wouldn’t let me come between you and your parents.”

I point at my ex. “Did you invite her here?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Exactly. You didn’t do any of this. He did, and I’m not going to let him disrespect our relationship like this. He might not like it, but he’s going to fucking respect it or I won’t be talking to him. I do not like being manipulated.”

She sighs. “I’ll wait. I promise.”

I cup her face and press my forehead against hers. “I fucking love you, woman. I’m not trying to leave you out of anything by asking you to wait here, you know that, right? I just don’t want him to hurt you anymore than he already has.”

She nods. “Okay. I understand. I’ll wait right here.”

“Hey there my LGBTQutie,” Jeremy greets Scarlett.

“Howdy guncle Jer,” she says back.

“Once again, I feel like I’m not in the club,” I grumble.

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