“Jesus Christ,” Gavin blurts, glaring at him. “Your fucking wife is here in Lincoln?”
Mom and Dad come into the kitchen, no longer giving us their space.
“Come again?” Mom says, eyeing me skeptically. Dad just stands beside her looking off, and I know his wariness is justified.
“Soon to be ex-wife,” I repeat, though there’s a lack of confidence in my tone that does the moment no justice.
“Kinley, come on,” Gavin tries to reason.
Corbin brushes my hand. “I’ll be back as soon as things are handled. I promise. Your family and you should talk about this. I can speak to mine—”
I give my family my back, putting my hands on my hips. “How many times have you asked me to fly with you? If we’re a team, we do this together. Birds travel in flocks. We’re a family now.”
The room is quiet as Corbin nods.
Mom and Dad don’t try to stop me. I think they’ve figured out that I’m not going to let them. But Gavin still follows behind us as we walk out the door, keys in hand, and head to Corbin’s car.
“Think about this,” my brother tells me, holding the passenger door open.
“I am.”
“You’re not.”
“We need to go,” I say through gritted teeth, tuggi
ng on the door for him to let go.
“Fine.” He lets go of it and promptly opens the back one, sliding in and leaving me speechless.
Corbin doesn’t say a word as he starts the car and backs out. I can tell by his terse face that he’s got too much on his mind to even think about the fact that my brother is third-wheeling this unwelcome adventure. Even my mind is racing too fast to even think about what this means.
The drive is fast because Corbin runs the red light and goes well above the speed limit down Main Street. I want to say something but have no words. I just let him grip the wheel and grind his teeth as we slow down in front of his parents’ yellow house.
He gets out immediately, storming to the house as Gavin and I both climb out at the same time.
“Kinley Thomas!” an unfamiliar voice calls from somewhere off to the side. I turn just as a huge camera points in my direction, blinding me with bright flashes.
Instinct has me covering my stomach that is no longer hidden by the jacket I left at my parents’ house. The photographer instantly notices the reaction, aiming his camera at the way my palm covers the round belly under my sweater.
His eyes light up like he just won the lottery. And in his world … he did. “Jesus Christ,” he muses, snapping more pictures as I stand frozen in shock.
Gavin quickly pushes me behind him, covering me from the camera’s view as he guides us inside. When the photographer gets closer, Gavin doesn’t hesitate to curse him out and shove him back so I can get into the house without the lens being shoved in my face again.
But the damage is done regardless of my big brother protecting me like he knows best. And in that moment I chip at the anger held toward him because I know he was just doing what he thought was best back then, just like he is now.
When I walk into the Callum’s home, Corbin and Lena are standing face to face at the end of the hall and the tension in the air is so thick I may suffocate.
Corbin is seething.
Lena is smiling.
“You must be Kinley,” she says in a thick accent, turning to me with inquisitive eyes raking down my body. “Oh, my. Looks like my friend outside is going to be paid well.”
Gavin puts an arm in front of me, blocking me with his body in a protective stance. And I let him, burrowing behind his bulky frame and letting the tears that well in my eyes escape from the ducts I can no longer control.
Because we’re screwed.
Absolutely screwed.