Page 85 of Whisper Of Attraction (Whisper Lake 3)

“You’re not her father! You can’t just keep her!”

“I know I’m not her father. I’m her brother. And I have legal custody of her.”

“Temporary! You have temporary custody of her. And I’m her mother!”

“You left her.”

“I asked if she wanted to go! She didn’t! She wanted to stay with you!”

“Right. And she still does.”

“You don’t give teenagers everything they want. You would know that if you hadn’t messed things up with Sabrina and had kids of your own.”

Brynn turned to the girls and mouthed, We should leave.

This was a private, family conversation.

Jess put her hand on the knob and turned it but it didn’t budge. She shrugged and mouthed, it’s locked.

Brynn looked around to see if there was any way they could leave the area without alerting Axel and his mom to their presence. Other than the back door, the only exit was through the quad.

“I messed things up with Sabrina?” Axel let out a forced laugh. “Okay, first of all, I don’t think you should be commenting on anyone’s failed relationships. And second, do you want to know why I married Sabrina? Did you, my mother, ever ask me why at eighteen I’d want to get married?!”

“I thought she was pregnant.”

“No, mom. She wasn’t. But I did marry her because of a baby, so you’re half right. I married her because I was scared to be overseas and leave Izzy. I married Sabrina so that at least someone responsible would be around if, no not if, when you flaked.”

Brynn, Jess, and Ali’s eyes all widened in shock. She’d never been so thankful for her own mother in her life. The conversation she’d had with Ryder came back to her, and Brynn decided that tomorrow morning, first thing, she was going to call her mom and tell her how much she loved her and how lucky she was to have her.

“You might technically be Izzy’s mom, but you’ve never put her first. I have, Mom. I always have. From marrying Sabrina, to moving halfway across the country, to moving to a town where a woman that I am madly in love with, but can’t be with, lives. I can’t breathe just knowing that at any moment I might see this woman and I won’t be able to touch her or kiss her or tell her I love her. And I’m doing it because it’s what’s best for Izzy, because that’s what being a parent is. A real parent. It’s not about anything else, it’s about putting their needs before yours, and you’ve never done that a day in your life.”

If Brynn, Jess, and Ali’s eyes were wide before, they were practically saucers now. And all of their jaws were hanging open like bass fish.

The air was heavy with silence, the only sound was the crickets. Brynn and her friends were all holding their breath.

Finally, Axel spoke again. “Look, if this is about her child support. I’ll send you the money that Peter sends me every month. Just let her stay with me.”

“It’s not about the money,” his mom snapped. “But, it would help…just so I can get on my feet again.”

“Fine.” Brynn could hear the heartbreak in Axel’s voice and she wanted nothing more than to round the corner, tell his mother to go take a long walk off a short pier, and pull him into her arms.

“Here, this should tide you over. I’ll deposit the rest in your account by Monday.”

“Okay, well. If you think this is best. Give Izzy a kiss goodbye for me.”

“Wait? You’re not going to tell her goodbye?”

“Oh, well, um, Rocco is waiting for me in the car, so I’m just going to scoot out. Love you!”

Her declaration of love was followed by the click, click, click of high heels heading toward the parking lot. Brynn started to panic, knowing that any second Axel would round the corner and catch them. Suddenly, Jess turned the knob and opened the back door.

Brynn’s face was one of shocked horror. Jess just smiled and rushed inside with Ali right behind her but when Brynn tried to follow, the door closed in her face. She grabbed the knob and this time, it really was locked.

She was going to kill Jess.

Her head dropped against the solid oak door and she heard a deep, gravelly voice that her body instantly responded to.

“Brynn?”

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