Page 57 of Regrets

“She isn’t moving on, none of us are.” He points to Lola, me, and then Linc. “And all of you are too caught up in your own bullshit to notice. Lola puts in her allotted time each week, sure. But even when she’s there, she isn’t there.”

I watch Lola shrink in her seat, unable to argue.

Asher’s eyes land on Linc. “And you, playing house with your dead brother’s girlfriend.”

I want to melt into the floor, slide into the cracks, and disappear forever. Nora just shakes her head, pulling the cloth napkin from her lap and placing it on the table with a shakinghand as she stands up. “I’m so sorry, Asher. I swear that’s not what I was trying to do.”

“Don’t worry about it, Mom. He’s just being a little asshole.”

“Fuck you, Linc. I’ve been there. The whole time.”

Nora raises her hands in the air, signaling for surrender. “Stop. Please don’t fight, boys.” She turns and looks out over the railing at the lake, her voice full of sadness. “I think I’m going to go lay down. Please don’t fight anymore.”

She brushes Asher’s cheek and then squeezes Linc’s shoulder as she goes back into the house, and then Linc turns to Asher for the real showdown.

“What the fuck is your problem? Has she not been through enough, you little shit?

“We all have been, Linc! And she dragged us here for what? Some sort of therapy that’s only going to make it worse.”

“We don’t know that, but your little outburst sure didn’t help.”

“What’s the matter, Linc? Pissed it wasn’t you who got to be an asshole for once?”

Lola sighs heavily. “You guys, stop. This isn’t helping anything.”

Asher sits back in his chair, his legs having grown in the last year so they stretch under the table, his sandy blond hair swaying in the night wind. “I’m tired of pretending like everything is okay. Colt is gone.” His throat bobs as his eyes slide to me, and I have the desire to fade away again. “And it’s all her fault.”

I’m horrified and stuck in shock, unable to argue with him because I know it is, in fact, my fault.

Surprisingly, it’s Linc who comes to my rescue. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Asher sits up straight, his body leaning forward in a menacing action as his eyes move to his brother’s. “I know exactly what I’m talking about.”

What the hell does that mean?He couldn’t knoweverything. My eyes widen as he smirks at Linc. “You two ruined everything and left us to pick up the pieces. Hopefully she’s a good lay, Linc, otherwise there’s no way it was worth it.”

Shit.

Linc jumps out of his chair, and Asher rises to meet him just as Linc reaches his side of the table. The two brothers stand toe-to-toe. “Watch what you say. You think you’re a man, but I’ll have you on the floor, begging for Mom.”

“Fuck you, Linc.” Asher’s chin lifts in defiance, showing he isn’t backing down. “You guys aren’t the only ones who lost him.”

“Asher, I think you should go to your room,” Lola says quietly from her seat and doesn’t look up at either brother with her request.

“No fucking way. You need to explain. What do you mean, you know what you’re talking about?”

I don’t want to know the answer. I don’t think I can handle it.

My eyes lift in time to see the cold smile slide over Asher’s handsome face. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”

He shoves past Linc and goes inside, and I see Linc starting to go after him, but now Lola stands up, stepping in front of Linc. “Don’t. Let him go.”

“He’s being a fucking asshole.”

“Is he right? Are you pissed it’s not you?”

Lola’s tone is half joking, and it makes Linc smile. “I think all the Sterling siblings have had our moment.”

Lola sits back down at the table, taking a drink of her wine. “You’re right. And so is he. We all left him there to deal with everything. Who knows what he’s seen over the last year.”

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