Page 31 of Ruin
His words have me stopping, and my gaze flicks over to them. There is only one house that I know of on Cedar Road with agiant Oak tree in the front yard. You live in this town, you know that house.
“Is it 1019 Cedar Road?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even.
“Uh, I don’t know,” Spam says with a shrug. “Maybe.”
“Well find out,” I snap, and he frowns at me while pulling out his phone.
“Yeah, that’s the one,” he says, holding up his phone. I walk over and snatch it from his hand, and sure enough, it’s the house.
“Who bought it?” I ask.
“I don’t fucking know,” he barks.
“When did it sell?” An icky feeling crawls over my skin as my hands start to tremble.
“Like two days ago?”
I shove his phone at him and storm out the front door. I had no idea that house was up for sale, and if I had, I’d have kept an eye on it. Something tells me there’s only one person who would pay that much extra for a house in a stupid town like this.
Chapter Thirteen
Lucian
When there’s banging on the front door, I already know who it is.
I’d prepared myself for this moment, knowing it was coming. It was inevitable. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
I pull the door open, and I’m met with a furious Kolton.
“I forgot how quickly news travels in this town,” I comment.
He shoves past me to step inside the house, and I turn to face him, closing the door. He rakes his hand through his hair, looking up at the ceiling as if he’s trying to find words or maybe just trying to keep his cool. Which is shocking because he never holds back. Though, it’s possible he’s contemplating murder at this moment.
“I was hoping I was wrong,” he says more calmly than I’d ever expected from him.
I could ask what he’s talking about, but I already know. It’s about this. Me being here. The house.
He looks down at me, eyes red. Kolton is such an emotional person but he never lets himself feel it. So it all builds up until it boils over and he has a full on meltdown that comes out as rage rather than whatever he felt from the beginning. He’s nearly at that point, and I know I’ll be the one to send him over the edge. It’s not enough to make me leave or make me stop. In fact, I’ve hardly gotten started yet. I’m not afraid of those parts of him. I embrace it just like the rest of him. Once he lets it all out, I’ll have a fresh start. He’ll have a clear head, he’ll feel better, and I’ll be here to remind him that it’s okay tofeel.
I’ve been with Kolton enough times during his meltdowns. I noticed over the years that his exterior grew harder and it took more and more until he reached that point. I don’t know what his life has been like over the last nine years. Has he been holding everything in? Has he gotten better at handling it all?
“Why?” he whispers, holding my gaze.
I hold my head high as I answer him.
“For you.” I won’t lie to him. “I won’t pretend I’m here for any other reason.”
He huffs out a disbelieving laugh, shaking his head.
“Boston too boring for you?” he asks. “Your wife finally kick you out?” he adds more aggressively. “Did she finally find out that you like fucking guys, Lucian? How about your son? Maybe it was him who found out, hm? Did he finally catch you?”
I hold his gaze, not responding to any of that. Now isn’t the time to tell him about Beth, and it certainly isn’t the time to tellhim about Luke. He isn’t in the right frame of mind to take in that information. He wouldn’t care right now anyway. I need him to understand why I didn’t come back for him that night. But if I don’t wait until the right time, he’ll just think it was an excuse. He won’t care, and I need him to care. He will be upset if he doesn’t care.
“Fuck you, Lucian. Seriously, fuck you.” He shoves past me again, yanking the door open and slamming it behind him.
His bike starts up, and it’s a wonder I didn’t hear it pull down the driveway in the first place.
With a sigh, I head through the foyer and into the study in the back of the house. When I was little, this was my father’s office and I was never allowed entrance. Never. Not once. Of course, there was the occasional time I snuck in when he wasn’t home, but he always knew and I always paid for it. I was a testy child, similar to how Kolton was when he was younger. Kolton never admitted it to me, but I know his father punished him harshly, as some parents do. I didn’t approve of it, and never chose to punish my son the same.
