Page 31 of Everything We Left Unsaid

He’s silent for a moment and then he releases a pent-up breath. “Well, let me know when it gets uncomplicated.” His face is filled with hurt and concern when I finally look up at him. He turns his back to me, his shoulders stiff and his posture rigid, and walks away.

I find Jacob and my grandmother at the lemonade stand, where they’ve just been conned into getting a giant lemon shake-up by a nineteen-month-old baby. My unease and regret from my confrontation with Gavin melt away at the sight of them. I cover my mouth to hide my amusement when they turn to find me watching. Chloe is nestled in Jacob’s arms, drinking from a cup bigger than she is. He points and waves in my direction.

“Wave at mommy,” he instructs. Chloe looks up and finds me instantly. Her chubby little hand opens and closes, her version of saying hi. Seeing them together like this warms my heart. It’s everything I ever wanted for us.

Jacob

The sight of Abby standing in the midway with a soft smile playing on her lips, her eyes shimmering in the colorful festival lights and loose strands of hair that escaped her braid fluttering in the breeze causes my breath to catch. She looks so beautiful and happy watching Chloe and me. Happy looks good on her. It makes me want to do more to keep that look on her face.

“How’d it go?” I don’t have to explain my question. She knows I’m asking her about breaking up with Gavin.

“Could’ve been worse,” she answers, glancing down at her feet. With the rounded toes of her shoe, she kicks a stray rock out of her way, keeping her eyes glued to the pavement. I’m sure she feels terrible about the whole thing with Gavin, but it had to be done. I don’t know if they were exclusive, but I know one thing – she and I are.

We stroll past the vendors selling hand-crafted jewelry and dessert-scented candles. Ama stops to talk to some of the ladies from her church and waves us on. “Find us some good seats for the show,” she calls as we walk away, promising to join us soon.

I take a chance and reach for Abby’s hand. She sucks in a breath when I lace my fingers through hers and stares straight ahead, trying not to let on how much my touch affects her.

With Abby holding my hand and my daughter cradled in my arm, I feel like a king walking down the street. Things are finally right in my world and I’m on cloud nine because of it.

“Oh, shit,” Abby mutters and drops my hand, her eyes bugging out with surprise and fear.

I glance up and follow her gaze, my elation evaporating. Her brother storms toward us, his face etched with fury, his fists balled at his sides. He’s bigger than he was two years ago, and he was a formidable young man back then. He put Caleb Carlisle in the hospital for touching his sister, and aside from some bloody knuckles, didn’t have a scratch on him.

Surely, he won’t come after me. Not here, with my daughter present.

Abby steps in front of me to head him off. “Ethan,” she pleads. “Let me explain.” He ignores her and tries to sidestep her, but she’s too quick and too determined to keep the peace.

“You son of a bitch!” he spits at me.

“Ethan, please,” she begs.

“You said you loved her!” he yells, trying to push past Abby, her palms pressed against his chest to keep him from getting too close to me. “You said you fucking loved her.” His finger points at me accusingly.

Abby freezes with her arms still raised defensively and turns to me with a stunned expression and wide eyes. Shit. This is not how I wanted her to find out. I never told her I loved her. I should have just told her back then. Back before things got so complicated. Back before she thought I was a lying piece of shit.

“What?” she asks, unbelieving, her voice straining on a suppressed sob. I run my hand through my hair and release a pent-up breath.

“This lying son of a bitch told us he loved you. The night Caleb drugged you and tried to take you.” Abby winces at the memory and I want to deck him for bringing it up. “He wouldn’t let anyone else ride in the ambulance with you. Not Tiff, not even me. And I believed his bullshit.”

“It wasn’t bullshit.”

“The fuck it wasn’t.”

“It was true.” I turn my attention from Ethan and stare down into Abby’s stunned face. “It is true. I should’ve told you.” Of everything we left unsaid, that’s the part I regret the most. I reach down and tuck a strand of dark, wavy hair behind her ear. “Maybe if I had, this whole mess wouldn’t have happened. You would have known how I felt and wouldn’t have doubted me.”

“Get your hands off her!” Ethan roars and steps between us, tucking Abby behind his back. “You’re lucky Chloe is here and I’d never do anything to hurt my niece.”

“Ethan, that’s enough!” Abby shouts. Though most people witnessing our little altercation have the grace to walk by, several others stop and stare, including Ethan, surprised at her outburst. “You have no idea what’s going on here. You don’t know what really happened. As a matter of fact, you don’t know anything, so stop being a bull-headed little shit!”

The crowd around us starts moving again, but Ethan and I are frozen in place. I don’t think Abby has ever yelled at anyone like that, and judging by the stunned look on her brother’s face, I’m right.

“Shit!” Chloe chirps. She smiles and claps her hands, thrilled with her new word. “Shit!” she repeats. All the fight goes out of Abby and she laughs in defeat.

“Chloe, don’t say that. It’s a bad word.”

“Shit!” she squeals, and Abby hangs her head, mumbling Mother of the year.

“I think you two have some explaining to do.”

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