Page 94 of Free to Judge
Exactly.
Mama:
#lesigh
Can you keep threats vague enough I don’t need to bleed bail money?
Uncle Phil:
Hell no. Let me have a go at him.
Uncle Jason:
For once, I’m letting Phil off the leash.
Aunt Cori:
Say WHAT?!?!?!
Aunt Holly:
Whoa. Jason spoke in the chat.
Laura:
This is epic.
Grace:
Mark the date and time.
Val:
This might require theme music.
Reggie:
Angry girl playlist?
Aunt Cori:
Is there any other kind?
Mama:
I give up. Fine. I want to tear his limbs off.
Kalie:
I love you all.
A flood of “I love you’s” hit my phone within milliseconds of each other.
I can’t reply. I’m too emotional. I carry my phone to my bedroom, tossing it on my mattress. It’s time to get ready to leave. Declan can judge me all he wants—I know how to win, I know how to lose. But without respect or love to build off of, there’s nothing worth fighting for. Nothing worth sticking around for. The pain isn’t worth the agony.
I’m going to be gone for at least a few weeks to lick my wounds and recalibrate my world without the presence of a man who stormed into my life and left me standing here devastated. We were friends—at least I thought so. We had a solid foundation before he touched me with intent.
Clutching a running shirt to my breast, I bow my head. “How did we go from making love to him giving away parts of himself to random strangers?” I would have sworn he was like the other men at Hudson. A man like my father—a man of honor and integrity despite spending his life in the shadows.
