Read Online I Won't Give Up on You by F. L. Jacob - Free Book Online Page A

react. Crossing his arms over his chest, he watches me closely. Knowing he’s going to be there to back me up, I loosen my grip and shove James back onto the couch. I sit back on the chair and go back to wringing my hands.
    A bead of sweat appears on his brow, and he puts a finger in his shirt pulling it away from his neck as if it is choking him.
    “Okay, Caston. Please, settle down. Just let me start off by saying I–we–never meant to hurt you. We were only trying to protect you.”
    “Let me fucking decide that.”
    “Okay, okay.” He holds his hands out if front of him to try to calm me. “You know your mom and I had an affair before you were conceived. Beverly never knew, or so we thought. I was days away from filing for divorce. That was the night we had the party and she pulled me into the room for a threesome. I froze when I saw the third was Rose. She looked surprised herself. I wasn’t sure what to do with both of them together in the same room. I mean Rose was Beverly’s sister, so we’ve been in the same room, but never for this type of situation. I tried to play it off the best I could, focusing most on Beverly, so she wouldn’t be wiser. Afterward Beverly fell asleep, Rose moved over to my side of the bed she was panic-stricken. She was crying about how she had gotten a note from me to meet in my bedroom, but to come in the back door because there would be a party. She said that she never questioned it until Beverly had walked in with me. I tried to soothe her, telling her everything would be okay, but I didn’t understand how this happened. I didn’t send her a note.”
    He paused. Agitated I want him to continue. Slamming my hands down on the table besides me. “I know this shit already! Damn it, James…”
    He started talking quickly now. “Beverly woke up and smacked Rose off the bed, hitting her multiple times before I pulled Beverly off of Rose. Beverly freaked the fuck out, spouting all this shit she had on me and Rose and how she would ruin us. I was terrified for Rose. Beverly was crazed, I’d never seen her this bad before. Rose was so scared on the floor, cowering in the corner. Beverly and I had it out, screaming, yelling, and hitting. Rose suddenly started getting sick and bleeding. Terrified I scooped her up, leaving Beverly without looking back. I rushed her to the hospital. I stayed by her side the entire time. That’s when we found out about you.”
    “But, you told me you never knew about me.” I whispered.
    “I know, Cass, I’m so sorry.”
    “Whatever.” I look away from him.
    “You were just a little bean.” He reached forward to try to touch my leg.
    “Don’t fucking touch me.”
    He pauses. “I decided that moment that I was going to leave Beverly. Getting Rose settled into the hospital for overnight observation, I headed home to finish the deal. When I got there Beverly was sitting on the floor in the bedroom with Jon in her lap. Thankfully he was sleeping, but she was rocking him with a butcher knife in her other hand. A fucking butcher knife! The look in her eye was ruthless, she told me every little dirty detail she had on me, all the blackmail she would ruin me with. I panicked. I’m so sorry, Caston. I couldn’t let my business and everything I worked so hard for go to shit. Plus, she was the one that had the money to begin with. She funded my ventures. I had to do what she said. Not to mention she had a fucking knife threatening Jon.”
    He shakes his head and rubs his forehead. “I got her calmed down and vowed that I wouldn’t leave her. I had to lay low for a week or so. I wanted to make sure Beverly believed me. When I went back to Rose, she was missing. I was frantic and went to her house looking for her. Her house was empty, like she was never there. They said she’d moved out. No forwarding address, no contact information. Her phone number was disconnected. I looked for her for years. I begged Beverly to give me her contact, I just knew she