Page 22 of Every Promise Broken

“She said she purchased a one-way ticket, and she’ll buy her return flight once she’s here,” I explain, feeling like I’m a kid in trouble. “Claims it’s cheaper that way, but that she’s going to stay at least a few weeks.”

“Well, I’d love to see her,” he says, before adding, “If that’s okay.”

I huff out a breath. “Well, funny you should say that...”

“Why is that funny?”

Here goes nothing.

“So, try not to freak out.”

Whit’s face falls. “Conrad, what did you do?”

This is going to be bad. He’s going to be pissed.

“I may have never mentioned that you and I had gotten a divorce.”

Whit goes stock still, face expressionless. He doesn’t say anything for a whole, painful minute.

Then two.

Three.

Finally, he grits out, “Excuse me?”

“I never told her we?—”

Holding up a hand, he says, “I heard you. What the hell do you mean you never told her? How is that possible? We got divorced nearly four years ago!” Standing up, he starts pacing in front of me. “How the hell has it not managed to come up in all these years?”

“Well, we really only talk on the phone a couple times a year, and?—”

He cuts me off again. “You only talk to your nana a couple times a year?” He stops pacing, eyes narrow as he glowers at me. “What the hell is wrong with you? Call your nana more!”

“Okay, Mom,” I deadpan, shifting in my seat.

Scowl deepening, he points a finger at me. “Now is not the time to try to be funny. Explain yourself right now.”

“I will if you quit fucking interrupting me.”

Whit scoffs but says nothing.

“As I was saying,” I go on. “We only talk a couple times a year, and whenever we did, I just said you were at work or already in bed.”

Folding his arms over his chest, he stares at me, pinched brows and his lips turned down into a frown. “And she believed that?”

“Yes.” I shrug. “Or if she didn’t, she never said anything to me.”

The pacing begins again. Steps short and quick. Hands threading through his hair the way he always does when he’s anxious or overwhelmed.

“Why, Conrad?” he asks, coming to a stop in front of me again. “Why, on God’s green earth, did you not tell her we got a divorce?Why?”

I clench my jaw, nostrils flaring as I take harsh breaths. “With the death of my parents happening barely a year before our divorce, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her.” My throat tightens, the tip of my nose stinging with the memory of all thiscoming up. “She was grieving the loss of her son and daughter-in-law, and shelovesyou, Whit. You know between you and I, you’re her favorite.”

He rolls his eyes, but I don’t miss the twitch of his lips.

“I couldn’t do that to her. So, I kept it to myself, and then as time went on, I just…couldn’t. I couldn’t admit to her that I lost you.”

Whit’s eyes snap to mine at the confession I didn’t mean to let out. Based on the way his eyes widen, I’d say he’s as surprised to hear it as I am. He drops down into his seat again, grabbing his glass of lemonade, and throwing it back like it’s a double shot of whiskey.

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