Page 66 of These Jagged Edges

"You know everything that happened with Harold hit Maddox the hardest," Sophie says softly beside me. Joe comes in from the kitchen and sits next to her on the couch.

"I wasn't a part of their lives then. Fucker wouldn't allow them to see me and believe me I tired."

Harold had cut everyone out of Mag's life, isolating her and the boys completely. Joe has never forgotten or forgiven him or Mags for that. I think a part of her still resents the fact Mags couldn't see Harold for who he was and what he was doing until it was too late.

"Harold had Maddox completely under his spell in the beginning, and then when things went south, he blamed himself. He spent more and more time at the gym trying to escape it all I guess."

Maddox never told me any of this, but he did say he thought every woman should learn to defend themselves. I knew Harold had hit Mags, but Maddox never really talked about it. All the boys were fiercely protective of their mama.

"What happened to Harold?" I ask because I don't think I have ever heard anyone say.

"Soph, you were there that night," Lou tells her sister.

Sophie finishes tying the balloon in her hand. "Mercy and I were sitting on the porch when Harold came home angry about something Mags did earlier, I'm not sure what." She grabs anotherballoon. "We heard the first smack and Mercy went inside, then there was a loud crash and a bunch of glass shattered. I ran inside and realized Harold had thrown Mercy through the China hutch." Sophie blows the balloon up. "Then Maddox showed up and almost beat him to death."

"You're leaving out the part where he slapped you too, Angel." Though I didn't hear Mercy enter the house, I’m not surprised to see him propped against the kitchen counter, arms crossed as he listens in.

"It wasn't important," Sophie says just above a whisper.

"It never is, is it Angel?" Mercy deadpans and for the first time, I see not the carefree man with an easy smile, but a man with so much more going on beneath the surface.

Sophie's flushed face has me looking between them with a huge question mark. What the hell am I missing? I look at Joe and Lou and they seem just as confused as I am. What does he mean? We all wait for Sophie to reply but instead, she ties the balloon and grabs another balloon acting as if she didn't hear a word he said. Mercy scoffs and walks out of the room.

Lou begins pacing the living room and you can see the wheels turning. "Was he the reason?—"

Sophie jumps up. "Well, it's time for me to go! I'll see y’all tomorrow. Don't forget the cake and cupcakes, Evie. I set them in the walk-in cooler next to the butter." She leaves before anyone can say goodbye.

Lou looks at her sister's empty spot deep in thought.

"What was all that about?" I ask.

Lou grabs her purse. "Get your asses up. I need a drink...or fucking five." You know what? That doesn’t sound like a half-bad idea after all.

Chapter Twenty-Four

EVIE

"I'm telling you!They are just these two weirdo kids who were best friends. Shared trauma and all that." Lou waves dismissively sloshing half her drank margarita all over the table.

"Bullshit!" I whisper yell.

We were four pitchers deep at Bangers, discussing whatever the fuck that was earlier between Mercy and Sophie. Joe dipped out after the first round, but we stopped by and picked Allison up along the way.

Bangers is your typical backwoods bar where all the good ol' boys stop by after work to bitch about their lives and their wives. Just imagine your local place for a happy hour pick me up and that's Bangers.

Bangers is owned and run by Crow Crosby, and his brother Crew. Both men are pretty to look at. Blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and have that whole blue-collar working man thing going. Too bad I’m more into a certain emo asshole with a penchant for self-loathing.

Okay, okay, maybe he isn’t emo, but damn if he doesn’t makemy fucking panties drenched with his menacing glares and fuck me lips.

"Hello! Evie!" Lou waves a hand in front of my face.

"What!" I snap, damn her for pulling me from my thoughts.

"Go ask Crowbar for another round. Pretty please?" Lou flutters her long lashes at me.

"Why me?"

"Because he'll give me the whole big brother spills about needing to be more responsible and yadda, yadda, yadda. Plus, I'm pretty sure I'm one more 'go fuck yourself' from finding a new job. Also, you’re the sweet one, no one can resist you.”

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