Page 110 of Better Together

“Tasha. She’s a piece of work. She found out that Mark and Brittany weren’t actually living in eternal debt, and she wants a piece of the pie. Or all of it. I’m sure she wants all of it.”

“Wait, I thought Mark and Brittany were broke too,” Brett said.

“Welcome to the club. I only found out a couple of weeks ago that they’d gotten an inheritance from Brittany’s grandparents earlier this year.”

“Plot twist!” Brett shouted. “So, the kids got that money?”

“Yep. Remi and I already decided not to touch it unless we have to. We’d rather save it for them, you know?”

“That’s great,” Ava said. “But people are greedy, so I can see why Tasha is causing trouble.”

“Brittany always said her sister was a druggy. It seems Tasha doesn’t like change.”

“Unless it comes with money,” Brett added.

“She didn’t even know her sister had died. For months!” Colt hadn’t talked to his brother every day or even every week, but it wouldn’t have taken him months to find out his brother had died.

Brett slapped a hand on Colt’s shoulder. “You’re a good brother. I mean, I would know if something happened to Jess, but anyone else in my family, I probably wouldn’t get the memo if one of them kicked the bucket.”

“Brett!” Ava gasped. “You don’t talk to your family?”

“Nope. Just Jess.”

“And Jess doesn’t either?” Colt was suddenly shocked out of his own problem by Brett’s confession. Colt and Remi weren’t the only ones with parent problems.

“Jess doesn’t either. They’re different. Living in a different world. Jess and I keep our distance for the good of all.”

Ava shook her head. She’d dealt with her fair share of family problems, including a father she hadn’t known about until only a few years ago. “Families. I love mine, but the secrets…”

“Addiction,” Colt added.

“Neglect,” Jameson said.

“Murder.”

Everyone stopped and looked at Brett.

Brett shrugged. “I’m sorry. Murders. Plural.”

Colt pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can comprehend your family problems right now.”

Ava spread her hands on the table. “Why are people so cruel?”

“Beats me,” Brett said.

“But you and Jess are so normal,” Colt said.

Brett forked the last piece of chicken on his plate. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“I guess it shows that people can hide a lot of hurts,” Ava said.

Colt checked his phone. How long would it take Remi to get here? “Remi’s one of those, but I’m hoping her story doesn’t include murder.”

The dining hall door opened, and Colt turned around. Remi stood framed in the doorway wearing his flannel shirt.

Every nerve ending in his body stood at attention. He rose to his feet and fisted his hands at his side. He wanted to grab her and kiss her senseless. He wanted to beg her to stay, beg her to listen.

But she’d left, and that meant she probably didn’t want any of those things, no matter how much it hurt him.

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