Page 96 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

‘Where is he?’ she asks, her gaze burning through my skin.

‘He had some errands to run.’

In my defense, I didn’t mean to ruin his back last night. And it’s not entirely my fault. When we were in college, Will was on a drinking binge with a guy he was supposed to be studying with. Instead, they went to a party, got utterly hammered and, like an idiot, he let his wasted friend drive them home. They didn’t make it. Instead, they crashed on the freeway, plowing into a concrete barrier on Will’s side. The driver walked away from the accident nearly unscathed, but Will had a burst fracture in his spine, four broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken shoulder, collarbone and arm.

I was legit terrified when I got the call. For the first twenty-four hours he was on a ventilator. Things were touch and go. It was the scariest day of my life. Bryce and I were the only two who showed up at the hospital. His family couldn’t have given a shit. In fact, when Mike finally showed up a week later, it was to make sure he understood what this embarrassing event did to the Adler reputation.

Somehow everything makes more sense now that I know about Jacob. He really does treat Will differently. I was never imagining it. All because he knew Will probably wasn’t his. But whose is he? Suddenly, I’m on board with Mike’s verbal assault on his mother.

Melinda and Mike exchange glances.

‘Come on, Mom. Hehasto know. Who Darth Vader-ed Will?’

She frowns. ‘Jacob should have kept his mouth shut. It’s probably nothing.’

‘Probablynothing?Mom,’ Mike says seriously. ‘Will’s dropped samples off with a DNA lab. Your “probably nothing” has a truth that he will soon find out. Don’t you think it should come from you? He deserves at least that.’

‘You’re standing up for your brother?’ She pulls her head back like she’s shocked by this.

‘There’s a first time for everything and this is kind of a big deal. You just crushed the guy’s entire world.’

‘He’s crushed?’ she asks, looking at me with worry.

I nod. ‘Imagine discovering the guy who’s spent his life harping at him with disappointment might not even be his own dad? Yeah,’ I say, agreeing with Mike. ‘He’s crushed.’

Melinda crosses her arms over her chest, shaking her head like this disturbs her. It should.

‘It wasn’t meant to happen,’ she says suddenly, her back to us as she speaks while she paces behind the front counter next to me. ‘I was mad, and I did something with someone your father was intimidated by. I thought if I threatened it he’d back down but he didn’t.’

‘Back down from what?’ Mike asks.

‘Jacob went against a deal we had, and I needed leverage. His stubbornness forced me to follow through. After I played my hand, I discovered I was pregnant.’

‘You usedsexwith someone who intimidated your husband as leverage because he broke a deal you had?’ I ask, with shock. I thought these types of things only happened in soap operas.

‘Money complicates things, sweetheart. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.’

Bitch.

‘Unfortunately, thanks to this family, Idounderstand.’

She rolls her eyes, turning back to Mike. ‘I told your father, and we agreed a baby could be good for you growing up and kept it quiet for that reason alone.’

Mike looks at me, his eyebrows raised. ‘Please tell me that leverage lay did not come from who I think it did?’

‘I’m not confirming or denying anything.’

‘Mom. Onlyoneman intimidated Dad. Will’s going to find out.’

One man? Mike knows!

‘Well, it won’t be from me,’ she says flatly.

‘You’d rather save yourself from retaliation than tell your son the truth?’ I ask, not completely surprised to hear which way she’s leaning here, but shocked anyone could be this cold towards their own flesh and blood.

‘I have to take care of myself,’ she says, picking back up the book she’s reading. ‘This conversation is over. I’m taking a break.’

‘A break from what?’ I call after her as she disappears into the stockroom, leaving Mike and me staring at one another. ‘Who is it?’ I snap at him.

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