Page 118 of Without You

She’s right, he does look different. Content. Lighter. Centered.

The way he should always have been. Burden free and undeniably happy.

Amidst all the excited tones and conversations between us, I hear a low but consistent knock at the front door. Deacon raises an eyebrow. “Everyone we know is here,” he muses.

I don’t bother to get technical, but seeing as I didn’t invite anyone else, I’m just as confused as he is.

“Give me a second,” I say to the group.

I swing the door open, completely unprepared for the person who’s on the other side. I’m rendered speechless, and it takes me a good thirty seconds to manage a ‘hello.’

“Bill,” I sputter. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

“Julian.”He nods at me in greeting before looking into the apartment at the group of people, and no doubt at the man who’s now pressing his hand into the small of my back.

“Dad? What are you doing here?”

He pulls a set of keys out of his pocket and dangles them in the air. They’re my car keys. That only Victoria had. I spin around and give her a knowing look, and she just shrugs.

Plucking the keys out of Bill’s hands I put them in my pocket, and then stand there awkwardly.

“Do you want to come in?” Deacon asks.

Mr. Sutton scrubs his hand over his chin. “Only if I apologize first.”

“I’m going to…” I jerk my thumb back inside. “So you guys can have some privacy.”

“No.” Deacon straightens his back and holds my hand, daring Bill to say anything about us being together, to be on his mother’s side.

But those horrible words never come.

Instead, he clears his throat. “I need to apologize to both of you about what happened the other day.” His posture shifts toward Deacon. “And I need to apologize to you for so much more.”

Feeling uncomfortable, Deacon shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it, Dad. It isn’t necessary.”

“Bullshit,” he says angrily, and it silences the audience behind us. “I did you wrong, son. Time and time again, I kept my mouth shut, and I need to earn my forgiveness.”

Deacon’s fingers interlace with mine while his father unloads years and years of guilt. It’s moments like these I feel our strong connection, where words aren’t needed and that our hearts are synchronized in every way that matters.

I squeeze his hand, telling him the only thing he needs to know. The one thing that will never change.

I’m here. I love you.

“I should’ve said more,” Bill confesses. “I should’ve stuck up for you more when she was being impossible. And the other day.” He shakes his head. “She hit you. Her son, a grown fucking man, and she hit you.” Bill’s voice cracks, along with his heart, and the thick emotion in his voice makes it hard for all of us not to feel it.

I glance over at Deacon and the tears falling down his cheeks are an absolute knife to my heart. I lean closer to him, wrapping my arm around his torso, holding my man up.

“I know it’s late and the damage is already done, but she’s going to get help, son,” Bill explains. “I told her it was non-negotiable. My family and my marriage are not going to survive if she keeps doing this, and it was time she needed to know. I know she’s the reason our family is falling apart.” He apologetically shakes his head. “Not because of Rhett.” He taps at his chest. “I let her use that excuse for far too long. I didn’t pull her up on so many things, swept so many things under the carpet, but I’m not going to do that anymore at the expense of losing my son.”

He turns his face toward me. “Both my sons.” Now it’s Deacon’s turn to squeeze my hand.

“I’m happy for you both,” he tells us. “And if you need anything at all, you need to let me know.” Mr. Sutton steps closer and places a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. “I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but even after all is said and done, she’s my wife—in sickness and in health, so if there’s any way you can find it in your heart to forgive her, then I’m grateful.”

“And if I can’t?” Deacon asks.

Bill shrugs. “Then you can’t.”

“I’m sorry to have interrupted your night together. I didn’t know you were busy.” He lifts his chin up at the people inside. “But I wanted to bring Julian’s car back, and apologize.”

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