Page 88 of Go Deep

A nagging feeling stabs my gut.

But it doesn’t mean everyone will follow them…

Still, I have to try.

I lean forward onto the marble countertop and take my mother’s hands in mine. “I want to tell you that I’m sorry for being such an obstinate ass about getting tested for the Huntington’s gene. I’ve brushed you off for months about it and it was wrong on so many levels. I know you only want the best for me, and I was too stubborn and scared to accept what might be.”

“Sweetie.” Mom squeezes my hands. “You don’t need to apologize. I know how hard it must have been for you, especially hearing that Austin didn’t have the gene. But we’re here for you, like we’ve always been.”

“I was angry for a long time.” My shoulders slump with a deep sigh. “I guess I didn’t understand how you’d let things go so far with Dad forcing me out, how neither of you tried to make things better for the sake of our family.”

“It was so hard. And I blame myself for losing you. I should have spoken up and challenged your father, but he was so angry. And I don’t even think it was directed at you. I think it was because he was losing his life, and you had such a promising one and he knew he wouldn’t be here to see it. He projected all of that emotion on you and it wasn’t fair. I regret letting you leave every day. I should have stopped it and I didn’t.”

“I know I made things worse.” Austin gives me a sheepish look. “But I felt like you shut me out along with Mom and Dad. I could have spoken up but I didn’t.”

“And we just let all that time go by, letting those bad feelings fester.” I hang my head. “I needed you guys. But there’s plenty of blame on me, too. I could have fought harder. I could have stood up to Dad and not shut you both out. I messed up, too.”

“We need to work on putting the pieces back together,” Mom says. “We can go back and forth forever. But what’s important is that we all want the same thing. Don’t worry about the past. Just focus on the future. We can get through anything if we have each other.”

“Well, speaking of the future, I got tested.” I smile. “And it was negative. I’m good. My game has been a mess lately with everything going on and the threat of a positive test result hanging over my head. I feel like I can finally breathe again.”

“Oh, thank God,” Mom says, clasping her hands together as tears pool in her eyes.

Austin gets up from the counter stool and gives me a big hug, clapping me on the back. “Glad to hear that, bro. Especially since your team definitely needs you for the game against Tampa Bay on Sunday.”

We all get a good chuckle out of that.

“Yeah, speaking of the game, it’s gonna be a pretty grueling week, but I’ve got plenty of room, and I’d love for you to stay here.”

Mom nods, tears in the corners of her eyes. “We didn’t want to intrude. In fact, we were planning to leave tonight. But…” She glances at Austin. “I’d love to stay.”

Austin nods. “Yeah. You think we can get VIP seats for the game?”

I chuckle. “I’m sure I can swing something.”

“Actually, I can probably do better than that. How do you guys feel about seats in the press box?”

Vince walks into the room, fully clothed and wearing a bright smile that makes his perfect teeth pop against his dark skin. He walks over to my mother and holds out his hand. “Vince Castro.”

Mom blushes at his blinding smile. And probably a little bit because he’s hot as fuck. She shakes his hand. “I’m Iris Kelly. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Vince turns to Austin and shakes his hand next. “And you must be Austin. You a big football fan?”

“I’m a big Gabe Kelly fan.”

“Good answer.” Vince’s eyes meet mine and he winks at me. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Never. Now tell me how you’re getting seats in the press box for the game on Sunday.”

Vince walks around the counter and pulls the coffee pot off the burner before filling the mugs I have lined up next to the machine. “I just got a call from ESPN. They made another offer for me to be an announcer.” He shrugs. “I took it.”

“That’s amazing.” Without thinking, I pull him in for a chaste-ish kiss, then dart my gaze over to Mom and Austin, who are wearing ear-to-ear smiles.

Why did we wait so long to do this?

But then my answer chases away the question.

Fuck it. The past is the past. Focus on the future.

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