Page 146 of Overdue I Love You's
“You didn’t,” I insist. “You protected your brothers, your mom, and yourself. He was an alcoholic.”
“Don’t defend this. Don’t.”
“Why?” I plead. I’m holding him now. I remember his case. Back then, it seemed odd for them to even have him on trial. His drunk dad was going to kill his mom. It seems like a no-brainer to me. “If it wasn’t you who did it? If Callahan or Azar stabbed your dad multiple times because he was going to kill your mother, you would defend them too.No, I bet that you’d do more than that. You’d probably take the blame—” My voice thins out into the air.
Thelines beneath his eyes retracing history to tell a truth only I’m piecing together. Not a Mona Lisa story, not of Cleopatra’s, but of Dean's.
Most ex-convicts want to tell people if they’re innocent. When dad was released, the first thing he did was head into town to tell everyone the truth about the forged documents, the threats, and how the people held him at gunpoint to sign the papers. The gambling den was a façade he dealt with for a long time. He wrote a story, published it into the media. He’d tell people he didn’t deserve the time in there, how he missed precious moments with his daughters.
No innocent person wants a lie to define them.
Rhys’ accusations, each daggering insult, Dean took like a champ. He doesn’t snarl, scowl, or defend himself. Because he’s never done that. It’s never been for him.
The admission comes slowly, foreign even. “You didn’t do it.”
He goes limp with exhaustion.
Only Dean—oldest brother, protector, man of his word—would drop his whole world for his brothers. He’d dive into molten lava to make sure not even a speck touched their fingers.
Thiswashis lava.
“Tell me what happened.” I’m done asking. We’re here, right now. The world might be crumbling on the outside. Social media might hate us. But I don’t hate him.
We’ve known each other for years. He’s liked me for two of them.
He owes me an explanation from the beginning.
Dean’s eyes are hooded with shadows from the past when he finally tells me.
“It was late fall. The sun set early, I was finishing up work at the ranch. My friend called me to grab a drink with him down at the pub and I was going to go when I heard screaming. It was my mother. Sheonly screamed behind closed doors with my dad, telling us we never had to worry about it. But it was loud, vicious, full of fear. I remember running through the field and cutting my leg on the splintered wood of our porch.” He takes a deep, wobbly breath. “I’ll never forget what I saw. My mom crawled into a corner, Azar holding her. My dad in a pool of blood in front of them and Callahan… He wouldn’t stop until I held him. Then he cried and cried.”
Dean’s shoulder’s wet from my tears. “You took the blame for him.”
“He was twenty-two. Had his whole life ahead of him.”
Sniffling, “You did too.”
“I’d do it again,” Dean admits. “If it came down to it, I’d take the blame for him again.”
He stands with his chest out like the big brother he is.
“You’re human, Dean.” I take his chin between my forefinger and thumb. “One day, every pain melted into your skin will kill you.”
He wipes a tear away. “That’s an honourable death.”
I have to force myself not to argue. Luck was on Dean’s side after. He was sentenced to ten years but got out in four. That doesn’t happen. Ever. But he lost four precious years. The years people hit their peak, get married, have children. Dean came out a newborn baby, he didn’t know how fast the world changed in those years. Yet, he’s never lost faith or love. Doesn’t blame anyone for the choices he made.
But when he looks at me, raw and unfiltered, there’s a weight being lifted off his shoulders.
I’d gladly take it for him over and over again.
CHAPTER 29
Alot happened in the past seventy-two hours.
After Dean told me the truth, we got a message from production telling us to meet back at the house as soon as we could. Everyone was there. Hina, Kat, Shaan—who didn’t care about any of it—Rhys, who looked worried for us. I didn’t need anyone to tell me who revealed the secrets because when Irene came out to tell us her father pulled out his investment from the show and they had to stop production, my accusations were confirmed.
Only Austin Kane, supposed friend of Irene, and fan of her father would do this. All those days seeing him stammer over a phone call or go red with embarrassment after being reprimanded told me all I needed to know.
