Page 101 of Every Thought Taken

And I am done. Done with whatever subconscious issue she has with Anderson. Done with her bullshit.

I will not allow this woman to wipe away all the progress Anderson made in his life. I will notlether tear him down to make herself feel better.

Leaning into Anderson’s side, I hover next to his ear. “She no longer dictates your life. Do not let her steal your joy. Don’t give her any power.” I squeeze his hand between mine. “Look at me, please.” I inch back and he slowly twists to meet my gaze. “I love you. Unconditionally.”

His grip loosens slightly. “Love you, too.”

I lift a hand to his face and cup his cheek. “Only you decide how you want your life to be. No one else. Not me, not Lessa, and certainly not your parents.” My thumb strokes the apple of his cheek. “You are your own person and what you want for your life is what matters most.”

He closes the space between us, kisses me chastely, then rests his forehead on mine. “Thank you,” he whispers.

I open my mouth to tell him I will always have his back, but Lessa cuts me off.

“What the hell just happened?” Her tone is sharp and a touch frightening.

Reluctantly, we pull apart and Anderson levels Lessa with a harsh stare. Then he juts his chin toward the window, where their mother looks more fired up than before.

“Goddammit,” she mutters.

A screech fills the air as wood scrapes wood, Lessa shoving her chair back. In a blink, she is up and stomping toward the front door. Twisting the dead bolt, she steps outside and up to their parents. Finger-pointing and heated exchanges happen for all to see. Minutes pass without hearing a word of what’s happening outside, but it’s easy enough to see Lessa keeps telling them to leave.

Several minutes pass before Lessa steps inside and locks the door. Cheeks red, she immediately lowers the blinds across the face of the store. She returns to her chair, drops her head in her hands, and sighs. Braydon kisses her crown and rubs a hand up and down her spine.

“Tonight,” she says as she straightens her spine and levels Anderson with her gaze. “I need to know tonight.”

Swallowing, Anderson gives her a nod. “Tonight,” he agrees.

I rest my head on his shoulder and reinforce my grip on his hand. Tell him without words that I will be at his side. That he can lean on me. That I will hand over every ounce of strength he needs to get through this.

I am here and I love you. Always.

CHAPTER56

ANDERSON

“I’m sorry. What?” Ales asks, her voice shaky and laced in disbelief.

“Please don’t make me repeat it,” I beg. “It hurt enough the first time.”

After the parental sighting, the mood of the party plummeted fast. We skipped all the silly games but did blow out candles and eat cake. August and Sharon volunteered to clean up, and Ales promised them a bonus for the work. Goodbyes and hugs were exchanged moments before we exited the back and trudged up the stairs.

In the living room, with Helena at my side, I spilled my secrets to Ales. Shared every vulnerable detail of my past she hadn’t been aware of. The cutting, the pills, my time in the hospital… and my relationship with Helena.

More than anything, I thought my secret love affair with her best friend would bother her most. She barely blinked when those words spilled from my lips.

Devastation lines her face. Tears well up in her blue eyes. And she can’t stop shivering.

Braydon wraps a blanket around her shoulders and hauls her into his side. He kisses her temple and whispers words only for her. She blinks, then nods, tears trailing down her cheeks.

Securing the blanket around her frame, she pins me with her sad eyes. “You could’ve talked to me. Trusted me with your secrets. I would’ve listened. Would’ve done something. Iwilllisten. You know that, right?” A hand slips out of the blanket and wipes her now tearstained cheeks.

A sad smile curves my lips. “I know that now.” I rub the back of my neck. “Back then, I didn’t want to be a burden. You were so happy and I didn’t want to drag you down with me. My immature and bleak mind didn’t want to drag you into the dark too.”

Helena combs her fingers through my hair, her nails lightly scratching my scalp. I lean into her touch, her comfort. Allow it to soothe the reopened wounds. Let her love assuage the scars of my past.

Ales shifts her gaze to Helena. “Since you’re not freaking out, you obviously knew.”

She drops her hand to my waist and fists the cotton near my hip before resting her head on my shoulder. “Not long,” she answers. “Around the beginning of August.” She twists to look up at my profile. “Believe me, I was shocked.” Her fingers curl more in my shirt. “And hurt,” she chokes out. “But we want to live in the present and take steps toward the future, not exist in the past.”

---