Page 38 of Wild Hearts

“No need to be an asshole about it,” she snaps at me. Her sudden change in tone makes me flinch. “You could’ve been seriously injured... or worse.”

I sneer at her, my anger once again boiling over. “Why are you even here?”

“Brady!” Ivy gasps.

“Seriously, man.” Lachy speaks up. “We’re all just here to–”

I don’t get to hear why they’re all in my bedroom because Wren’s shaking her head as she climbs to her feet.

“He’s right.”

My heart twists at the pain in her eyes. It’s the same look I saw when everything turned to shit between us. The flame burning inside me goes out and my body deflates. I’ve fucked up – again.

“I don’t need to be here. You guys can work this all out without me. I’ll call you later, Ivy.” Wren hesitates before looking in my direction. “I’m glad you’re... whatever you are.”

I wish Ivy and Lachy weren’t here. I wish I could call Wren back. I wish I could tell her the truth – that it means more than she knows that she came to see me. I wish she’d forgive me for being an idiot last year and stop trying to pretend like we meant nothing to each other. But instead, I close my eyes and let her walk out of my bedroom, the door clicking shut behind her.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ivy hisses at me.

“Ivy, I’m lying here with my knee all banged up, trying to figure out how the hell we’re going to break the news to Mum about Dad’s new kid. I don’t need anything else to deal with right now, especially not some bullshit platitudes from your friend.” Acid rises up the back of my throat.

“No need to be an asshole. She’s your friend too.”

Not anymore.

“Guys,” Lachy cuts in. “I think maybe you need to work this out between yourselves.” He leans forward and presses his lips to Ivy’s. “Meet me at Patty’s later?” She nods. “It’ll be fine. Your Mum is stronger than you both give her credit for.” He claps me on the shoulder before he leaves.

I turn my head, jealousy coursing through my veins that my sister has someone to be there for her through all of this.

“Brady,” Ivy says quietly when we’re alone. “What is going on with you?” She sighs when I don’t respond. “So, what are we going to tell Mum?”

“Tell me what?”

I swallow a curse as I look up at our mother hovering in the doorway.Seriously?This is not happening. Not like this.

“Can we not do this right now?” I plead.

Mum shakes her head. “Does this have anything to do with Wren storming out of here in tears?” My gut twists. “Or Lachy hightailing it out of here unable to look me in the eyes?”

Shit.

“Now, what is it that you need to tell me?” She looks between me and Ivy.

Ivy clears her throat. “Mum...” I reach out and grab her arm. She doesn’t need to be the one to break it to her. That’s my job.

“Dad asked us to be godparents to Theo,” I grunt out, figuring it’s best to just rip the Band-Aid off. To her credit, Elouise Willis doesn’t break down and cry. She doesn’t get angry and start throwing things. Our mother just blinks, purses her lips, and nods her head slowly. “But we’re not going to be a part of it,” I add, desperate for her to know that we’re on her side. “We’re not supporting him or his new family.”

Ivy pinches her lips together and looks away from us. I’m worried that she’s going to contradict me, but she doesn’t say anything.

Mum moves to the side of my bed, careful not to knock my sore leg as she perches on the edge. She gives us a strained smile, reaching out to take one of our hands in each of hers. “You don’t have to do that. He’s your brother.”

“Half,” I counter.

“Heisyour brother,” she repeats. “And Jeremy is still your father. Nothing that happened between the two of us has changed that. He’ll always be your father.”

“There’s more, Mum,” Ivy says softly. She looks at me and I shake my head slightly. Mum doesn’t need to know everything. At least, not right now. But Ivy doesn’t heed my warning. “Tarshia’s pregnant again. They’re having another baby.”

The blood drains out of our mother’s face. She closes her eyes, no doubt replaying the horrible moment last year when her husband, the man she thought was madly in love with her, sat us all down and told us how he would always love us, but he was leaving us to be with his new girlfriend and their baby.

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