Page 41 of I've Got You

I started preparing coffee but glanced over my shoulder when Jenna remained quiet. She was almost bug-eyed, a mix of surprise and confusion in her eyes. Her lips tipped up though. “What?” I asked.

“You.” She tilted her head as her gaze roamed my face.

“Me what?” We were meant to be talking about her, so I had no clue what she was thinking or talking about.

“Something’s happened. Changed.” She brushed her thumb across her closed lips. “On our calls, I could tell something was different, but I didn’t know what.”

I froze, not quite sure how to proceed. I really didn’t want to be focused on me right now, especially as something major was going down with her. Why else would she have turned up with a car filled with what looked like all her possessions?

With her narrowed eyes focusing so intently, I fought the urge to squirm. “I meant you were to talk about you and what the hell’s going on.”

She nodded, but her gaze didn’t waver. “You look good. Happy.” Tears sprung once again in her eyes. I was not cut out with dealing with emotional stuff. I wasn’t good at it.

“Jenna.” Her name came out as a sigh as I frowned in concern.

“No.” She waved me off. “It’s so good to see you like this. I can’t remember the last time I saw you this relaxed, this happy. I don’t know who or what’s made you this way, but it’s wonderful. Truly wonderful.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes, her mouth splitting into a grin. “Gah.” She sniffed again. “I suppose I’m just sad that it’s so obvious. That I honestly can’t remember seeing you so… I don’t know, at ease and carefree.” I stepped over to her, placed my hand on her shoulder, and squeezed. She leaned her head against my hand. “Is it crazy that seeing you like this gives me hope?”

Fuck, I’d seriously let her down if she was reacting this way at seeing me happy. What the hell had she been through to be so broken? I pulled out the chair next to her and held her hands on top of the kitchen table. “Fuck, Jenna, you’ve got to give me something. I’m freaking the hell out here. What happened? What’s going on?”

Jenna swallowed, the sound loud. “I’ve left him. I just couldn’t do it anymore.” She shook her head. “I had to get out of there before I was pushed over the edge.”

Loud ringing burst in my ears. “Did—” I slammed my mouth shut, trying to take control of the shake in my voice. “Did he hurt you?”

Her shoulders sagged, her eyes still connected to mine. “Yes and no.” She removed one of her hands to wipe at her free-falling tears. I frowned, not knowing what that meant. “He’s been having an affair, or affairs.” Her lip curled into a sneer. “He was drinking more and losing his temper. He pushed me over in front of the boys. I hit my head pretty badly and needed a couple of stitches. He didn’t hit me with a fist, but—”

“You thought that he might do that next? And shit, Jenna, stitches?”

She bobbed her head and touched her brow. “It was coming. He raised his hand a couple of times, but both times he didn’t go through with it because he was interrupted.” Jenna’s lips thinned. “Things haven’t been going well at work. I think Dad found out he was having an affair with one of the admin staff. She was fired a few weeks ago, but that made things worse at home.”

“What have Mom and Dad said?”

She gave a humorless snort. “I tried talking to Mom, but she shrugged it off, saying ‘men would be men,’ and offered to make me a martini. Dad told me to keep my mouth shut. You know he won’t allow anything to ruin the family name.”

Didn’t I just. I would have liked to say I was surprised at my parents’ lack of support, but considering my own history, I was fully aware that reputation was paramount for the Andersons, appearance everything. We were a family of bulging rugs and stuffed closets. My father would have likely paid off the woman and threatened Stan to show more discretion. Sickness churned in my gut that Jenna, the nicest and sweetest woman I knew, had felt no other choice but to live this way.

“When it became clear you were more settled and you actually started calling me again, I knew it was my chance. I couldn’t look myself in the mirror anymore, bringing the boys up with such a bastard of a father.” Fire lit her eyes, and I smiled despite the heaviness in my chest.

“I’m pleased you came. Wish I had—”

“Nope.” She shook her head vehemently. “This is not your fault, and wishes are pointless. I’m here, the boys are here, you were actually not tense a few minutes ago.” She laughed. “Now I’m here, so it’ll be okay.”

While she didn’t ask a question, her eyes did. I stood and tugged her up and hugged her hard. “It will be okay. Shit, it’ll be fucking perfect.”

She snorted a laugh and hugged me back. “Thank you.”

I stepped back and grinned. “Why don’t you finish making the drinks and take a few minutes, and I’ll see what those kids of yours are up to. It’s suspiciously quiet at the moment.”

She heaved a breath and blinked while nodding. I could virtually see the first layers of tension drifting off her, and my heart eased a little. I would do everything in my power to make sure she and the boys found their place in the world, and I was more than happy if that place was here in Kirkby.

* * *

Once again lifeknew how to keep me on edge. That wasn’t to say things weren’t falling into place; in fact, almost every aspect of my life seemed to be charging full speed ahead. It was as exhilarating as it was making me shit scared. In truth, it was the reality that everything seemed to be falling into place that kept me wary. I wondered when the other damn shoe would drop.

Pessimism was hard to shake. After too many years of hiding, of resisting, it was proving difficult to step out of its clinging shadows and break free completely.

“What time are you heading to the clinic?” My sister swept past me, a dirty sock in one hand and Christ knew what in the other. The house, myalmosthouse had become a manic place to be for the past week. And while squeals and the thudding footsteps from the boys had moments that made me wince, I loved spending the time not only with them, but Jenna too.

“In fifteen.” I glanced at the time on my phone. It was my second trip to the clinic this week, but so far I’d kept my head low, not ready to cause a stir. I was aware from Carter that rumors were already rampant about Denver selling, but no official announcement had been made. I still had paperwork and funding to organize, but the whole process was going scarily fast, with Denver seeming to be in a hurry and happy to fast-track as much as possible while nudging his lawyers to be as proactive as possible.

---