Page 81 of His Secret Betrayal
“Tha-that’s despicable. You’re a monster.”
She continues speaking, sounding indifferent, despite the way my entire body is going numb from shock. “Your dad told me to leave and never come back. Said if I ever showed my face around either of you boys again, he would have me arrested.”
I freeze. “Is that why you didn’t want Jax to know you were alive?”
She claps, the sound mocking and cruel. “Finally figured something out on your own.”
“Answer me,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Yes,” she huffs. “I realized fairly quickly that you had no clue what I did but I wasn’t sure if your father ever told Jax or not, being that he was much older than you when George died. Besides, I saw the way Jax used to look at me. Like I wasn’t good enough. And you were so desperate for me to show you any ounce of affection that I knew I could use it to my advantage. As long as your brother never found out, I could use you for a place to live, for money, for…whatever.” She shrugs.
God, and I had given it to her. Anything she asked of me. I fell right into her trap. She was never interested in rehab, never wanted to grab my hand, even though I kept reaching for her. Addictionisa disease, but she was never interested in the cure.
Funny enough, I don’t think Dad ever told Jax the truth of things. When I told him she was still alive, his shock had been too real.
“You belong in here,” I tell her.
She smirks. “George was always too soft with you boys. One day, you’ll thank me for helping you grow that backbone.”
I scoff. “I doubt I’ll ever thank you for anything.”
Deciding I’ve heard enough, I push my chair back and stand up. As the guard holds the door open for me, I don’t look back. “Goodbye, Evelyn.”
In the end, walking away feels like a weight being lifted off my shoulders.
Bright sunlight hits my eyes as I exit the jail. My heart is heavy, little bits of grief still lingering. Although this was a necessary step for me to move on, I would be lying if I said it was easy. Her callousness gutted me and left me feeling raw and exposed. Growing up, I used to be envious of my friends. I would watch their mothers drop them off at school, pinching their cheeks or waving goodbye with wide, radiant grins. I always thought I was missing out on something special.
But, as it turns out, the woman who was meant to love me unconditionally, wasn’t cut from the same cloth.
If I hadn’t cut her loose, I would have kept losing bits and pieces of myself. I wouldn’t be the Luke Parker that my dad and Jax raised. If I had let it, her vitriol would have continued to poison my mind like a festering wound that won’t heal. She’d chip away at everything I am until I’m just a shell of a person, until I have no self-confidence to muster. I don’t want that kind of life for myself.
I pause in the parking lot, grinning when I see who’s waiting for me. Seeing Alek, Jax, Maddison, and Caleb ready to embrace me has a sort of peace settling over me. The sight of their soft, loving expressions soothes some of the hurt.
No, I don’t want to keep going down that road with Evelyn anymore.
I want lazy Sunday mornings listening to the rain pitter patter on the roof while I snuggle in bed with Alek. I want to hold his hand across the dinner table, make out with him in the supply closet, or wake up to his tongue on my cock. I want him to call me a good boy while I melt under his crooning praise. Want to experience his delightful little body shivers every time I run tender fingers and lips over his scars.
I want Friday night movies with Caleb, fishing trips with Jax, and private jokes with Maddie.
“I’m done,” I tell them softly.
Surprisingly, Maddie is the first one to pull me into an embrace. She hugs me so tightly I can barely breathe, only relenting when I give a squeak of protest. Then I’m sort of piled in the middle of everyone, so many arms wrapped around me that their bodies are blocking out the sun.
That’s when I know everything is going to be okay.
“I love you guys so fucking much,” I whisper.
Alek
“Is this weird for you?” I murmur softly, adjusting Luke’s tie until it’s perfect.
Unable to help myself, I hum as I run my hand down his chest. He looks delicious in a form-fitted black tuxedo. I drink him in as my hands roam, pausing to rub my thumb around his nipples before grazing over his stomach. There’s a hitch in his breath when my hands settle at his waist, my eyes glued to the way thosetrousers hug his groin.
“Feels good,” he says breathlessly, giving me an encouraging little hip thrust. “Keep going.”
I laugh quietly, shaking my head. “I meant, is it weird that your ex-girlfriend is getting married to your brother?”
His cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink as he bites his bottom lip, sending a surge of arousal through me. A growl tumbles from my throat as I push forward, crowding him against the dressing room wall and rubbing my half-erect cock over his own. I capture his mouth in a hard kiss, moaning in approval when his lips part to let me in. My free hand glides down his side, squeezing one of those delectable ass cheeks.
