same for me. But you have to call Cass, and Kara and Elena. They’ve been texting me non-stop.”
“You want sympathy for that? You texted them and outed me!”
Jade pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine. You’re right, I did. I’ll call.”
“Tell them I’ll explain everything when they’re out here tomorrow. Promise.”
Bree headed for the back staircase and took a deep breath before she made her way upstairs. Her mother was not going to be easy. All the anger she harbored toward Jake was based in the fierce love she felt for Bree, but what she needed from her mother was support, not wild emotions. Nope. Being angry wouldn’t change anything and it wouldn’t be good for Charlie.
Bree would have to remember that herself.
She’d really let Jake have it. Sabrina rarely raised her voice, but she’d lost it with Jake and he’d let her. He didn’t fight back, and took a lot of the blame on himself. It wasn’t fair, really, and at some point she’d have to talk to him about it because as angry and as hurt as she’d been, there was no excuse for keeping Charlie from him.
Just seeing them together, seeing how much Charlie wanted to know her father, showed Bree how big of a mistake she’d actually made. It was sobering, and the only thing she could do now was make sure they had every opportunity to get to know each other.
Stopping at the top step, she heard her parents talking in their room, so she went the opposite way, toward her own. She made short work of her clothes, pulling on a pair of old Christmas pajamas, and headed toward Charlie’s room.
There was only one lamp on when Bree walked in, but it cast a quiet, peaceful glow over the space. Charlie was on her side, under the covers, fast asleep. Bree leaned in to kiss her and noticed Charlie was still wearing the hoodie Jake gave her.
She couldn’t resist and laid down next to her daughter and tucked herself neatly against her back—with one arm draped over the sleeping child, and the other clutching the pillow, Bree marveled at how soundly her daughter slept, but then, considering what she’d been doing all day, it made sense. The shot to her heart came when Bree inhaled, that was when the magic took over.
Jake was there. Each time she drew in a breath, Bree realized she was in far more trouble than she’d thought. His scent was all over that jacket, sharp and clean, mixed with a combination of the salt air and snow from outside. It triggered memories she wasn’t sure she was ready for.
Memories of him. Memories of them.
But those memories couldn’t drive her decisions. He’d left her once and he could do it again. He’d be there for Charlie, but Bree wouldn’t risk her heart on him or anyone else again. Love wasn’t in the cards for her.
Kissing her beautiful girl on the cheek, Bree rose from the bed and wondered if she should suck it up and talk to her parents now, or wait until morning.
Morning won. After confronting Jake for the first time in ten years, Bree was spent, and Jade’s idea of crawling into bed with a romance novel, sounded really good. But like everything else that day, this wasn’t going to go as planned. No... her mother was in her room, waiting.
She and Charlie must have gathered up the contents of the box of memorabilia and put it on Bree’s bed, because that was where her mother was sitting while going through pictures. Proof of the relationship her mother didn’t know anything about. This was not going to be fun.
“I guess we have to talk?” Bree settled herself on the bed and pulled her legs up.
“I can’t believe you snuck around behind our backs.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”
“More than anything, that’s what hurts.” Her mother looked up, and never in Bree’s life had she felt as small as she did that moment. The disappointment was all over her mother’s face. “Sabrina, I always trusted you and you never gave me reason not to. I never had delusions about
“You want sympathy for that? You texted them and outed me!”
Jade pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine. You’re right, I did. I’ll call.”
“Tell them I’ll explain everything when they’re out here tomorrow. Promise.”
Bree headed for the back staircase and took a deep breath before she made her way upstairs. Her mother was not going to be easy. All the anger she harbored toward Jake was based in the fierce love she felt for Bree, but what she needed from her mother was support, not wild emotions. Nope. Being angry wouldn’t change anything and it wouldn’t be good for Charlie.
Bree would have to remember that herself.
She’d really let Jake have it. Sabrina rarely raised her voice, but she’d lost it with Jake and he’d let her. He didn’t fight back, and took a lot of the blame on himself. It wasn’t fair, really, and at some point she’d have to talk to him about it because as angry and as hurt as she’d been, there was no excuse for keeping Charlie from him.
Just seeing them together, seeing how much Charlie wanted to know her father, showed Bree how big of a mistake she’d actually made. It was sobering, and the only thing she could do now was make sure they had every opportunity to get to know each other.
Stopping at the top step, she heard her parents talking in their room, so she went the opposite way, toward her own. She made short work of her clothes, pulling on a pair of old Christmas pajamas, and headed toward Charlie’s room.
There was only one lamp on when Bree walked in, but it cast a quiet, peaceful glow over the space. Charlie was on her side, under the covers, fast asleep. Bree leaned in to kiss her and noticed Charlie was still wearing the hoodie Jake gave her.
She couldn’t resist and laid down next to her daughter and tucked herself neatly against her back—with one arm draped over the sleeping child, and the other clutching the pillow, Bree marveled at how soundly her daughter slept, but then, considering what she’d been doing all day, it made sense. The shot to her heart came when Bree inhaled, that was when the magic took over.
Jake was there. Each time she drew in a breath, Bree realized she was in far more trouble than she’d thought. His scent was all over that jacket, sharp and clean, mixed with a combination of the salt air and snow from outside. It triggered memories she wasn’t sure she was ready for.
Memories of him. Memories of them.
But those memories couldn’t drive her decisions. He’d left her once and he could do it again. He’d be there for Charlie, but Bree wouldn’t risk her heart on him or anyone else again. Love wasn’t in the cards for her.
Kissing her beautiful girl on the cheek, Bree rose from the bed and wondered if she should suck it up and talk to her parents now, or wait until morning.
Morning won. After confronting Jake for the first time in ten years, Bree was spent, and Jade’s idea of crawling into bed with a romance novel, sounded really good. But like everything else that day, this wasn’t going to go as planned. No... her mother was in her room, waiting.
She and Charlie must have gathered up the contents of the box of memorabilia and put it on Bree’s bed, because that was where her mother was sitting while going through pictures. Proof of the relationship her mother didn’t know anything about. This was not going to be fun.
“I guess we have to talk?” Bree settled herself on the bed and pulled her legs up.
“I can’t believe you snuck around behind our backs.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”
“More than anything, that’s what hurts.” Her mother looked up, and never in Bree’s life had she felt as small as she did that moment. The disappointment was all over her mother’s face. “Sabrina, I always trusted you and you never gave me reason not to. I never had delusions about
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