Page 91 of A Kiss at Midnight

“Jewel, we need to talk. Let’s go into the living room and I’ll explain,” Blake says, reaching for me. He stops when I flinch. I can’t tolerate his touch right now.

“There’s nothing to say, Blake. You knew the only thing I cared about in this world was getting my brother, so you swooped in and stole him from me — you did what you’ve done your entire life, took something that doesn’t belong to you in order to win a game only you knew you were playing. You might be able to give him a more financially stable life than I can, but that doesn’t make you a better parent. And it definitely doesn’t make you a better person.” I almost choke on these last words, having to stop for a moment and gain my composure.

“Things have changed Jewel...” He breaks off when I hold up my hand. I can’t hear this, can’t tolerate his lies. If he truly felt things have changed, he wouldn’t still be lying, letting someone else tell me what he’s doing to undermine me.

“It’s over, Blake. You won my brother, but you don’t get to win me.”

I turn and walk out of the house. Nothing in it is mine — absolutely nothing. I don’t know what I’m going to tell Justin, don’t know how to explain any of this to him, but right now I’m not capable of telling him anything without falling apart.

My world has once again been flipped upside down... and again, I have zero solutions for how to fix it.

Chapter Review

Chapter Fifty-Three

Blake

Damn!” Tyler says,sitting back with a stunned look on his face. “You continually decide to screw up your life, don’t you?”

“You’re a moron, Blake. This is low, even for you...” Byron adds.

“I didn’t tell you because... hell, even while I was doing it, I knew it was wrong. I started the process because I was pissed... then I continued because I wanted Jewel to stay. Ineededa reason for her to stay.”

I’ve never done something this big without speaking to my brothers. We don’t get sentimental very often, but we discuss everything in business and our personal lives, and this is certainly something I should’ve shared with them.

Jewel has been gone for three days, and she refuses to talk to me. She calls and talks to Justin, and spends a couple of hours with him every day when she knows I’m not home, and her brother’s none the wiser about what’s going on. But we won’t be able to keep it from him much longer. Justin’s wondering why Jewel isn’t home in the morning. They’ve been apart for too long already. I’ve told him she’s working a lot. It seems Jewel might be right... I’m lying to everyone I care about to make it easier on myself.

“Maybe she’s relieved,” I tell my brothers. “She’s felt so much pressure to take care of Justin, and maybe now that she knows his future is assured, she’s ecstatic and wants to be free of the obligation.” I just admitted my biggest fear.

“Probably,” Byron grumbles, but even he doesn’t look convinced.

“I don’t think so,” Tyler says. “She loves you, Blake, and she loves Justin. There’s no way she’d walk away unless she thought there was no other choice.”

“I don’t know what else to think,” I say with a heavy sigh.

Tyler starts to fire off questions. “What exactly did she say? How did she act? What have you done lately? Think deeper.”

“What do you want me to say?” I thunder. “This isn’t helping.”

“There has to be more to this than finding out you stole her brother out from under her — though that’s a big deal,” Tyler says. “But if you’re man and wife, it doesn’t matter. Because even if you legally adopted him, he’s still hers too. I’ve seen the way Jewel looks at you, and looks at her brother. She loves you both immeasurably. For her to walk away, there has to be something else going on.”

“Maybe you broke her,” Byron says with a sneer.

I stop and stare at my brother. “What?”

“Oh, hell, Blake, don’t get melodramatic on me. I was just kidding,” Byron says, and he tries to look as if he doesn’t care.

But I know my brother cares. This thought somehow makes me stop again. I think back to the last few months, think of all of my times with Jewel, the good and the bad, the laughter and the tears, the desperation, and the peace.

“She does know that you love her, right?” Tyler asks.

“Of course she knows,” I say, but the wheels of my brain start spinning faster.

Tyler pushes. “Because you’ve told her?”

I pause as I think back on our time together. Have I actually told her I love her? Of course I have. But as I wrack my mind, I can’t think of a single instance I’ve actually said so. Crap!

“Not with words,” I finally reply.

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