Page 87 of Leave Me Broken

I back away and say my goodbyes to my friends before walking from the room. I truly hope one day Alyssa can find someone that chooses her, but that will only happen if she stops going for people that are already spoken for.

Janelle’s bedroom door is shut and I’m pretty sure I know who is inside, and instead of interrupting whatever kind of conversation Collins and Janelle are having, I head back downstairs, hoping to find Ash. We need distance but I’m over the drama and just want my boyfriend. Or maybe I want to make sure Alyssa didn’t move onto him; in the mood she’s in, I know that won’t be the last I deal with her tonight.

I pass Parker on the stairs with an awkward smile and hurry down.

When I find Ash, I’m surprised to see him and Luca attempting to do a keg stand in the middle of the living room. I cross my arms and prop myself in the doorway, watching them struggle and the crowd of adults cheering them on. I smile, it’s not big but it’s there. It’s comical how different this room is from the one I came from. It’s almost backward but I’m not surprised, because drama tends to follow me.

Which is why I’m not even surprised when a dark figure steps to my side. It doesn’t stop me from jumping at his voice, though.

Jethro peers down at me, confused by my reaction, probably. “Hi.”

“Hey.”

The crowd erupts in loud cheer, and we look up to Luca upside down and Ash holding onto him for dear life with a goofy smile.

“Idiots,” Jethro mutters.

“Just because people can let loose every now and then, doesn’t mean they are idiots. Just because you don’t even smile—”

I think he attempts a smile and I pause, because it’s foreign and weird and looks like a creepy face filter and not natural at all. “Okay, stick with not smiling.”

“Fine. Can we talk now?”

“You want to talk about my dead mom at a party? Why are you even here, anyway?”

Something like impatience passes through his eyes but he just sighs. “If you come talk to me, I will explain why I’m always around.”

I do want to know but also don’t want to be alone with him. I don’t trust people, especially men who I know could easily take advantage of me if they wanted to. He might be my uncle by blood but I wasn’t raised around him, and the man I was raised around made me promise him my virginity, so you can understand why I might not be trusting.

Curiosity gets the best of me, though, and it helps I don’t get overly bad vibes from him, so I agree and he leads me out the front door and across the large deck to the porch swing. He doesn’t sit but I do, and I pull out a blanket from the little basket, shaking it off in case a bug claimed it as it’s home. Once I know it’s clear, I lay it over my lap. It’s not the slightest bit warm because it’s been outside, but it should be soon.

Jethro stays standing.

“What do you want to know about my mother?”

“Nothing. I know everything about your mother, Payson.” He must see the questions on my face because he continues with his explanation, “You know I’m a lawyer but you aren’t aware what else I do. Which is private investigation. I started about seventeen years ago. When you were born.”

There’s that pit again. “That’s creepy. Are you like . . . stalking me? It that why you’re here?” Alarms blare inside of me.

“No. I was investigating your mother and before you ask why, because I see you wanting to, just shut up and listen. And I’m here because I’m still a very big part of this team, even without Olivia in town.”

I huff but don’t say a word.

“Good. About twenty-seven years ago, when I was in college—”

“How old are you?”

His jaw ticks because I’ve not shut up like he told me. I don’t care, I don’t have to listen to him, uncle or not. “I’ll be fifty soon.”

“When?”

“October twenty-sixth.”

“How old is my dad?”

“Forty-five. He will be forty-six in a few months and our baby sister, Jennifer, is thirty-nine. Okay? You filled in now?”

“Oh my gosh, I totally forgot Aunt Jenny is my dad’s sister. So that means she’s your sister too?”

---