handled it. She totally took them on. But it made me realize what my uncle had been trying to tell me all along. I could hate my dad all I wanted, but ignoring Fitz only made it worse. It wasn’t her fault. And...” His voice trailed off again for a minute. “She was utterly alone.”
Which, ironically, was what Jules had also said. Even more ironic since, yes, Nate’s family hadn’t just taken Fitz in, they’d claimed her officially, with Mama Gin adopting Fitz by the start of the next school year and making sure she shared their last name. But it had still taken a while for Jules and Ella to come around.
It begged the question, “Jeremiah...?”
“No,” Nate answered. “He wasn’t part of the shed thing. I don’t think he even had a clue until after it happened. I mean, I have to believe we would have known if he was that bad.”
Yeah, Deke had to agree. He’d spent many a holiday sharing a table with both of them and it had never been anything but polite. Even earlier tonight, Fitz hadn’t seemed particularly upset by anything Jeremiah had done. Not the way she’d reacted when Jules said...
Oh shit .
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit .
With a sinking heart, Deke asked, “What exactly did Peggy do?” Because, yes, that’s who Nate had been dating back then. Deke had often wondered why he’d broken it off with her so suddenly and without any explanation to any of them.
There was a long pause before Nate answered, “She’s the one who sent Fitz out to the shed.”
The air went out of Deke’s lungs.
What?
Suddenly unable to sit still, Deke jumped to his feet and ran his hand through his hair. He started pacing. “How did I not know this?”
Nate didn’t even sound defensive. “Fitz made me seal that promise in blood.”
Finding himself at the windows overlooking the river, Deke let his head fall against the glass. “I can’t unknow it.”
“I know,” Nate said, his voice full of true regret. “I’m so damned sorry. I think that’s why Fitz wanted to keep it quiet.”
Which, yes, was her right. Absolutely. If she needed the insulation around herself, then more power to her. But...
Wait. That wasn’t what Nate had said. With extreme wariness, Deke asked, “What’s why?”
Nate hesitated for a few seconds before answering, “Look, she knows how much Inspiration means to you.”
“Me?”
Yes, he loved his town. But it wasn’t like he didn’t know there was a dark side.
And , said the little angel on his shoulder, he really did think she’d put it behind her.
What a fucking idiot you are , the little devil on the other shoulder chimed in.
Maybe he was in denial. Maybe she woke up dreading every day. It was clearly something he needed to be more attuned to. For now, though, he wouldn’t dwell on the fact that Fitz had never clued him in, couldn’t let himself even contemplate that his being with Peggy may have hurt her in some way. He just had to make sure he wasn’t near anyone who had been a part of hurting someone he loved.
“Are you okay?” Nate asked, reminding Deke they were still on the phone.
The phone that Deke now looked at as if Nate could see the disbelief on his face. “You’re asking me if I’m okay?”
Not one to beat around the bush, Nate said, “Well, you have been sleeping with her on and off for the last fifteen years.”
Just because he was thinking about sleeping with Fitz didn’t mean he’d actually done it.
Then he realized Nate meant Peggy. Of course.
And then he realized Nate thought there was actually a chance Deke would put Peggy before Fitz. “Are you shitting me?”
Yet it was definitely relief in Nate’s voice when he said, “Good. Because I need you to make sure Fitz is okay.”
“You want me to check on Fitz. Now? ”
It was the middle of the night. They were nowhere close to nocturnal visits.
And, Christ , they were never going to be. Hell, given the way she’d run from his car, he’d be lucky if she didn’t straight
Which, ironically, was what Jules had also said. Even more ironic since, yes, Nate’s family hadn’t just taken Fitz in, they’d claimed her officially, with Mama Gin adopting Fitz by the start of the next school year and making sure she shared their last name. But it had still taken a while for Jules and Ella to come around.
It begged the question, “Jeremiah...?”
“No,” Nate answered. “He wasn’t part of the shed thing. I don’t think he even had a clue until after it happened. I mean, I have to believe we would have known if he was that bad.”
Yeah, Deke had to agree. He’d spent many a holiday sharing a table with both of them and it had never been anything but polite. Even earlier tonight, Fitz hadn’t seemed particularly upset by anything Jeremiah had done. Not the way she’d reacted when Jules said...
Oh shit .
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit .
With a sinking heart, Deke asked, “What exactly did Peggy do?” Because, yes, that’s who Nate had been dating back then. Deke had often wondered why he’d broken it off with her so suddenly and without any explanation to any of them.
There was a long pause before Nate answered, “She’s the one who sent Fitz out to the shed.”
The air went out of Deke’s lungs.
What?
Suddenly unable to sit still, Deke jumped to his feet and ran his hand through his hair. He started pacing. “How did I not know this?”
Nate didn’t even sound defensive. “Fitz made me seal that promise in blood.”
Finding himself at the windows overlooking the river, Deke let his head fall against the glass. “I can’t unknow it.”
“I know,” Nate said, his voice full of true regret. “I’m so damned sorry. I think that’s why Fitz wanted to keep it quiet.”
Which, yes, was her right. Absolutely. If she needed the insulation around herself, then more power to her. But...
Wait. That wasn’t what Nate had said. With extreme wariness, Deke asked, “What’s why?”
Nate hesitated for a few seconds before answering, “Look, she knows how much Inspiration means to you.”
“Me?”
Yes, he loved his town. But it wasn’t like he didn’t know there was a dark side.
And , said the little angel on his shoulder, he really did think she’d put it behind her.
What a fucking idiot you are , the little devil on the other shoulder chimed in.
Maybe he was in denial. Maybe she woke up dreading every day. It was clearly something he needed to be more attuned to. For now, though, he wouldn’t dwell on the fact that Fitz had never clued him in, couldn’t let himself even contemplate that his being with Peggy may have hurt her in some way. He just had to make sure he wasn’t near anyone who had been a part of hurting someone he loved.
“Are you okay?” Nate asked, reminding Deke they were still on the phone.
The phone that Deke now looked at as if Nate could see the disbelief on his face. “You’re asking me if I’m okay?”
Not one to beat around the bush, Nate said, “Well, you have been sleeping with her on and off for the last fifteen years.”
Just because he was thinking about sleeping with Fitz didn’t mean he’d actually done it.
Then he realized Nate meant Peggy. Of course.
And then he realized Nate thought there was actually a chance Deke would put Peggy before Fitz. “Are you shitting me?”
Yet it was definitely relief in Nate’s voice when he said, “Good. Because I need you to make sure Fitz is okay.”
“You want me to check on Fitz. Now? ”
It was the middle of the night. They were nowhere close to nocturnal visits.
And, Christ , they were never going to be. Hell, given the way she’d run from his car, he’d be lucky if she didn’t straight
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