Page 30 of Resolving Rumors

I shook my head. “We all deserve a little grace, especially when we are trying to navigate a broken heart. I understand that all too well. There’s the depression chocolate cake that I dove into head first without hands or utensils, and then there are the unwanted thoughts I’ve had to work really hard not to follow through with. Trust me when I said, there have been some desperate plans that my poor, pitiful brain cooked up to get Devin back.”

“So, why didn’t you follow through with any of them?”

“What would be the point? If he wanted me, it should be because he truly wanted to be there with me, not because I tricked him into it with a fake pregnancy or something.”

Jordan blushed profusely, and somehow I just knew that was why my family was angry with her, but considering I had thought about the same thing, I understood her desperation. Maybe with her more than myself. Jordan had been in love with my brother for the majority of her life. It was unfortunate that he hadn’t returned those feelings. He loved her, but not in the way she wanted him to.

Just as we got into my car to head out to my family’s house for dinner, a notification dinged and I opened it without thinking. Stupid me.

Thinking about the day I tied the knot with the love of my life!

The photo was of a finger wearing a wedding band and that finger was attached to the hand that rested on an obvious baby bump. The she-beast-from-hell had even tagged Devin in her little announcement. I growled and threw my phone. Jordan picked it up and took a look before her watery eyes met my own. “I’m sorry, Vic. You shouldn’t have to see that.”

“Yeah, well, I think you know all about having to watch the man you love fuck off with some woman who doesn’t deserve him.”

“We’re a sad lot, huh?”

“The saddest,” I teased despite having to swipe away the few tears that escaped my traitorous tear ducts.

Dinner had apparently startedwithout us. I wasn’t offended. It had been ages ago that I managed to make a family dinner, and even though I promised to be there, it was the norm if I wasn’t.

“Our oldest grandchild is going to be a boy who can look after any who come after him.”

My mother’s announcement was a shock to me, especially since I had been her oldest child. It was nice to know how she truly felt about her oldest being a female.

“Like a girl being the oldest would have been a bad thing?” I asked. Instead of coming to stand beside me as I challenged my mom, Jordan remained hidden behind me as all eyes turned in my direction.

Instead of offering an answer to my question, my mother gasped and looked behind me with narrowed eyes. “Victoria Marie, what have you done?”

“What?” My tone was immediately defensive because I didn’t understand why she seemed angry with me for showing up to a dinner I was invited to.

“Vic, you should have told me,” Jordan said in such a meek voice that I had to do a double take to make sure it was really her speaking.

“Why?” I asked and then glanced around to see more faces in the crowd staring back at us that I had been led to believe would be at this dinner. I hadn’t expected Austin or his new woman at all. Still, I knew immediately that her presence was the problem. “You’ve always been welcome to family dinners. I don’t see any need to change that now.” I glared directly at Becs, the woman who worked so hard to steal my brother from his best friend, and added: “Not for anyone.” Because fuck love. It was a disingenuous beast at best and a disappointing heartbreak at worst. Becs, seated at my family’s dinner table, was the embodiment of Jordan’s heartbreak. It would be like if my family invited Devin and the she-beast-from-hell to dinner with me.

No one needed their chest cracked wide open. If they didn’t want Jordan to show up, then they should have told me that Austin and his new woman would be here. I would have never brought Jordan along with me had I known. Not to spare them, but to spare her heart.

“Vic, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but this is just making things worse. Why would you put me in this position?”

Well, that made me feel like an ass even though I hadn’t known they would be here, she was quick to make herself the victim in the situation.

“I’m sorry. You’ll never know how sorry I am that I interfered with things between you.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Jordan just admitted that she was the one interfering in Austin and Bec’s relationship. What the ever loving fuck had I missed?

“Would you like to take a seat?” Mom asked, though I could tell by her tone that she hoped Jordan would decline and just a moment later, she got her wish.

“No. I didn’t realize Austin or…” She paused and once again, I felt as though I had missed something major. “I didn’t realize they’d be here, or I wouldn’t have come. There’s been enough trouble from me.”

Jordan stormed out after that leaving me there to feel like the ant being fried by a child with a magnifying glass. “What?”

“You knew that Becs would be here tonight.” My brother called out to me, accusation deep in each syllable.

“So!” If they wanted to make an enemy out of someone, let them make one out of me. I didn’t care that I wasn’t aware she would be there. Truthfully, it would make it easier for me to hide away from everyone, to keep my misery to myself. If everyone hated me, that meant no one would come around to see me fall apart.

“So?” My brother mocked my indignant tone.

So, you decided to be a complete bitch and invite Jordan without telling her we’d be here? You didn’t bother to warn me so that my pregnant girlfriend wouldn’t be upset?”

“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend anymore, pregnant or otherwise,” I informed them all.

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