Page 158 of Finding Hope

“I said I’m finished workingfor now.I still have stuff left to do, papers to grade, staff meeting to attend…”

“Staff meeting to attend? On a weekend?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Brad gonna be there?”Fucking, stop it, jackass!

“Probably, he’s staff.”

“You hang around him much, Bambie?”

“No,” she snaps. “I don’t. But maybe I should. I bet he’d dance with me if I asked!”

My eyes narrow to dangerous slits. “Is that a threat, Brittany? You gonna start seeing other guys if I ask too many questions?”

“No, dummy. I already told you, I missedyou. I wanna hang out withyou. If I wanted to hang out with Brad, then I would’ve continued to date him, wouldn’t I? Can we go already?”

I start the car, because despite her breaking my heart with her casualdismissals, I still want to be near her. “Yeah, alright.”I’m pathetic.“Let’s go back home, though. I miss the kids.”

“Alright.” She shrugs.

So. Fucking. Casual.

Five minutes after I pull away from Alex’s house, we roll through the estate gates and pull up in one of the spare driveways.

I think I’ll take this house. It’s closer to the gates than my old house, but that’s about the only difference between this and all the others.

They’re all identical except trim colors, flowers, fittings. Other than that, the original estate owner must’ve found a buy one, get six more for free deal.

Climbing out of the Mustang, we head toward Kit’s house and work to avoid the curious glances coming from my family. As soon as we step through the front door, Kit’s scared eyes come up and stop on me.

Heartbreak turns to confusion, then confusion turns to suspicion.

I knew I wasn’t making this shit up. I knew it, and yet, Bambie’s casual walk, her airy attitude as she greets my family; when she hugs Bobby, then Kit, and welcomes them back after a week away… I know damn well she saw them this morning. I know Kit saw her, I know Bobby spoke to her.

“Umm…” With narrowed eyes, Kit watches Bambie wander toward the kitchen counter to watch over Brookey’s shoulder. “Everything good?”

“Mmhmm.” Pointing at the drawing on the marble countertop, Britt grins and pretends the room isn’t thick with tension. “You’re doing really good, Brookey. I like the colors. You got them all right.”

My niece smiles proudly. “Thanks Miss T. I tried real hard to stay in the lines.”

Eyes bulging, lips pursed, Kit looks to me, then to Britt.

I just shrug my shoulders.I have no fucking clue.

Aiden walks into the kitchen, then Jimmy follows close behind; because he’s nosy. They stop beside Bobby and pretend they’re not here to get the gossip – or stop my breakdown.

I scowl at the expectation in their eyes. “Are you guys busy today?”

Jim shrugs. “Not really. What’s up?”

“I’m moving out.”

Bobby spins. “What?”

Kit’s eyes turn sad, sending a hot wash of shame through my gut. She needs to stop freaking out. This day was coming; she knew it, I knew it. I can’t live at home forever, and surely, they don’t want me here. They must want their own space.

“We’ll help you move after the fight,” Aiden bargains. “Two weeks, then we’ll move your stuff.”

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