Page 60 of My Mistake To Make

Shit.

We say goodnight to Bo and Mama, and Merv offers me a sympathetic smile as he heads upstairs, too—I don’t think he knows what’s coming, but he knows something is. The gruesome twosome has been hinting at my impending ass-kicking all night.

‘And then there were three,’ Bree says, lifting her feet onto the coffee table.

‘Got something to say, chief?’ I snap, not in the mood for their games.

‘Me?’ She holds her hand to her chest and smiles sweetly. ‘Oh no. I got nothing.’

Fuck me.

‘You’re leading this then?’ I turn to glare at Zoe, and she smirks.

‘Leading what?’

‘Jesus Christ. Just say what you want to say.’

‘I just thought it was interesting,’ Zoe dials up the southern and turns her body toward me on the sofa. ‘That, when I went into work on Saturday morning, after you had sent Breanne to see if Cara was okay,’ I turn my stare on the other one. ‘And I checked the cameras to see if the construction guys had behaved on Friday night.’ Fuck. I drop my head back against thesofa. Fucking cameras. ‘That instead of seeing those dumbasses acting up, I see my brother kissing my friend and heading into her cabin with her.’

‘I mean, you did see those dumbasses acting up,’ Bree adds—helpfully.

‘Yes, you’re right, Breanne. I did, but Doug kicking the door on Cara’s cabin closed behind them was much more interesting.’

‘It’s not…’ I start, but Bree holds up her hand to shut me up.

‘Oh, I’m pretty sure I know it’s not, you dumbass, because when I came around at lunchtime and told Zoe how you sent me round there, and how you’d disappeared out of town with no notice, and how Cara’s eyes were all puffy like she’d cried a fuck ton the night before and had hardly any sleep, Zo told me about the cameras.’

‘And I was confused,’ Zoe says, ‘because I know, as grouchy as you are, you’re not an asshole who would hurt a woman.’ I snap my head toward Zoe. What the fuck does she think I did? ‘And I know youlikeCara, and she thinks you’re hot, so crying all night after getting you inside her cabin and probably her panties didn’t seem to add up.’

‘So, we watched a little more and saw you leaving not long after you went in. And we know it’s been a while for you, so your stamina probably isn’t great, but that was quick, honey.’ Bree smiles sweetly as though she didn’t just imply that I’m a one-pump chump.

‘I didn’t have sex with her.’ I groan.

‘Andyou looked so mad on the video. Storming out of there as though she pissed on your fire,’ Zoe takes the baton—this ongoing relay of a commentary is exhausting. ‘So, I think you should start talking because you ran one way, and Cara ran the other.’

‘What?’ I look at Zo, confused, and she tilts her head.

‘She left town.’

She what?

‘She went to stay with a friend for a bit,’ Bree explains. ‘Needed to get away.’

‘Why did she need to get away, Doug?’

‘I freaked out, okay? I didn’t mean to, but I did. I wanted to be there with her, and then I got scared.’

‘What happened?’ Bree asks in her law enforcement tone, and I turn to her.

‘I…’ Jesus, how do I say this to my sisters. ‘I kissed her once before, up at the house,’ I admit, and they look surprised. ‘And then when I saw her that night, I tried to fight it, but I lost the fight. I,’ I groan. ‘I got her off, and then I panicked that Jessie would find out, and I ran.’ The words come out in a rush that has both of my sisters glaring at me open-mouthed.

‘You got her off?’ Bree questions, and I nod.

‘You made her come?’ Zoe asks for further clarity.

‘Jesus, Zo. Yes, I already said that.’

‘Yes, you jackass, you did, but you don’t seem to understand the weight of it.’

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