Page 95 of All Her Broken Pieces

Ethan

“Fuck!”I shout, as my mom and dad join me on the porch as Bridget’s silhouette vanishes from sight.

“Can someone please explain to me what is going on? Is Bridget okay?” my stepmom yells, but all I can see is red as I spin around and stare down my father.

“Ashley, honey, Bridge is?—”

“Don’t!” I yell at my father, my volume louder than intended, as I cross to him in three steps. Getting close to his face, I jab my finger into his chest. “Don’t you dare call her ‘Bridge’ or say her name to me. She told me what you did. Do you know how much you fucked with her emotionally? She had to change schools because of what you and Monica did. Am I the reason you broke up? Am I the reason she lost all her friends?”

“Ethan, calm down. Let me explain.”

“What is there to explain? You cheated on her with Monica. And guess what happened after that? Me! Nine months later, you paid for those choices.”

“Is that what you think I did?”

“I know that’s what you did. She told me. She fell for you, and you cheated on her. And now I’m in love with her, and somehow you’ve fucked that up too.” I spit the words like venom, and my aim hits its mark as his face appears crestfallen.

“Oh my gosh!” My stepmom takes a step toward me and places her hand on my shoulder. “Ethan, are you saying that?—”

“Dad and I fell in love with the same girl? You’re goddamn right I am.”

I don’t care if I’ve made this awkward for him. But the second I see the hurt on my stepmom’s face, I falter. “Mom, I’m sorry. Shit, I didn’t think about how this would affect you.” I cover her hand on my shoulder with mine and squeeze it.

“Honey, it’s okay. I know your dad dated women before me. I know he’s been in love before. I’m okay with that.” Her eyes soften as her words wash over me, and her eyes dart between us. “What I’m not okay with is you letting this come between you two.”

“How can it not? You saw her! She couldn’t get out of here fast enough once she realized who he was.” I turn toward my father. “Do you know that I can’t even call her Bridge without her flinching? You did that. You.” My finger presses into his chest again as he stumbles slightly, caught off guard by my outburst.

My stepmom cups my cheek, redirecting my attention back to her. “I wasn’t talking about this coming between you and Bridget. I knew you were meant for each other the minute I saw that casserole. I’m talking about you and your father. He was your age once. He made some dumb decisions, we all have at some point, but you were never one of them.” She looks between us and gestures to the kitchen. “You boys better work this out before we eat. I have some things to finish in the kitchen, and I’m not spending the rest of this holiday in awkward silence.” She turns and walks into the house, closing the door behind her.

“I’m not staying.” My tone is final, my words bitter as I spit them at my father.

“Son,” he warns, shifting his weight while crossing his arms over his chest.

“Don’t. I’ve spent the last few months, hell, the entire time I’ve known her, jumping over the walls you created around her heart. Do you know how hard that was? How much it took to break through her hurt and get her to trust me? And it’s all because of you.”

“You’re right.”

“And another thing, I… What?”

“You’re right. I did hurt her. Deeply. And I’ve never gotten over how I treated her. I didn’t intend to hurt her. But, fuck, I was a teenage boy. I spent more time than I care to admit letting my dick make decisions for me.”

I shoot him a look. “If you think I want to hear about you fucking my girl, you’re seriously delusional.”

“Jesus, no. All I’m saying is that in my youth, I let the wrong head guide me more than I’d like to admit. I’m not trying to justify my actions or make excuses, but I did a lot of dumb shit I’m not proud of. But the minute I got Monica pregnant, my priorities changed. I was scared shitless. I was already a fuck-up in life, and I honestly have no idea why Bridget was with me. She deserved better. But I didn’t want to fuck up being a father because one of those shitty choices I made gave me you. And I don’t regret that.”

A bit of the tightness in my chest eases at the sincerity of words. “That’s a shit apology.”

“It’s not an apology. I certainly owe Bridget one, and I’ll own that. She didn’t deserve that. But I wouldn’t change my choices back then. I’ve never regretted having you.”

His words sink in, and a bit of my anger lessens right as the front door swings open, and the sounds of Lizzy’s meltdown reach us. Ella pokes her head out of the door and meets my gaze.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I think the yelling triggered Lizzy. She wasn’t wearing her headphones when she came down.”

Shit, I forgot about the timer I set.

“Ethan, can you help? You’re always able to calm her down the quickest.”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute,” I promise as she slips inside. Of course she asked me. Dad has no clue how to help Lizzy and often upsets her more. I’m the one with all the fucking patience, but in this moment, it’s dangerously thin.

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