Page 39 of Wants and Needs
“Not your fault,” Dad tells me in a clipped tone. His revenge face is still firmly on.
It certainly doesn’t feel like it’s not my fault. I’m the one who fell for Dirk’s act for more than a decade. I’m the one at fault here.
“I’d agree that it’s that dick’s fault,” Carter mutters from behind me, and I turn in my seat to look at him.
In my gut, I know Carter is far from anything resembling Dirk, but the doubt he put in me for so long isn’t something I’ve managed to get rid of. In fact, it’s something I’m positive will never leave me.
But still, Carter’s actions today speak for themselves.
He defended me.
Quite fiercely, actually.
He protected me even after he’d inserted himself into a very uncomfortable situation, brought me back home, took care of dinner, and as far as I could tell, didn’t believe anything Dirk said.
Even though some of it was true.
“And it’s not your fault either.” Dad speaks again, this time to Carter. I turn back just in time to see him release Mom and stand tall, looking at all of us for a moment. “I’ll call Duch,” he says,referring to their lawyer. “Tell him what happened and see if there was any breach of the NDA. And you two need to prepare for the ball next Monday. For now, though, we probably all need our rest. Take those down.” He nods to the bag of takeout I’m only now realizing Carter must have brought. “Your brothers and sister will help you with this, Liam.”
His eyes bore into me, and I don’t look away.
It’s only with him, Mom, and London that I can keep eye contact, and I’m grateful for all the work I did as a child to be able to do it because I see his love for me shine through them. I see how sorry he feels too.
For what, I have no fucking clue, but that’s something I can ask tomorrow.
I nod and stand, take one container of lasagna out of the bag, and then nod at the door so Carter will follow me.
“Bye,” he tells my parents softly, and then he turns quickly, walking out of the apartment before me.
I have no clue what, how, and when we’re going to talk about everything he heard from Dirk, or everything he said to him.
He told him we’ve been dating for two years.
Why? Why two years?
“That’s just a number that came to mind,” Carter mutters from next to me while we wait for the elevator.
I realize I asked out loud.
“I panicked after, having no clue if you’d been together two years ago,” he continues, speaking low.
“We weren’t,” I assure him. “We broke up six years ago.”
“Okay, then,” he says simply, and I have no idea how to interpret that.
I think about asking, but I’m drained enough to recognize that if I get stimulated any more tonight, I might go dark for a week.
“I need rest,” I inform Carter as we step into the elevator.
“And your siblings,” he says quietly. “And probably silence, right?” I can feel him turning to look at me, but can’t bring myself to move, even while wonder fills me at his words. He knows me so well already. He’s so damn perceptive.
“I need you to tell them what happened, please.” I need him to do it and don’t mind asking as the doors open two floors down.
“Of course. Everything?” he asks, and walks next to me to my apartment door.
“Yes, they know all of it.” I open the door and let him walk through first.
“You got it.”
