Page 116 of My Fiancé's Brother
I stopped in my tracks, but I didn’t turn around. I waited until Irene caught up.
“What do you think you are doing,” she hissed at me. “How dare you upset him like that?”
“He's not reasonable.”
“He’s sick.”
“He can’t tell me to kick Jackson out of my granny’s place. Jackson's doing what you asked. He’s kept his distance from all of us. Why can’t Matt leave him alone?”
“Matt needs to heal and doesn’t need this drama.”
I shook my head. “You were all for this drama a couple of months ago when it looked like they were reconciling.”
“If Matt doesn’t want to have anything to do with Jackson, that’s his prerogative. We aren’t going to push him on that.”
“I’m not asking for Matt to talk to Jackson, but someone had to be there for Jackson when his so-called family turned their backs on him.”
“That’s uncalled for.”
“If the truth fits.”
She pointed her finger at me. “Matt is going to be your husband. You need to learn to stand by him.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “That’s rich.”
“I’m very disappointed in you, Emily. I thought you were cut from better cloth.”
My tone was ice. “I think we've all been experiencing a lot of stress lately, so I'm going to let that comment slide. There's a hotel across the street. I'm going to pay for a room for you there because I think you look tired and you could use the extra rest and perhaps we all could use some space.”
Her skin flushed darkly. I turned and walked rapidly away from her.
I didn’t cryuntil I got to my car. My heart broke for Jackson. The man had done nothing but bestow undue patience and kindness towards Matt, Irene and myself. Every time I turned around, he had been there for us. Especially me. And now the only two people that he could call family in this world turned their backs on him. I cried for the little boy who had such a rough start to this world, who had grown up to be one of the most incredible men I had met in my life. Why couldn’t they see that about him? Why were they so horrible to him? It broke my heart to see him shunned by the two people who should love him.
Ten minutes later,I stood at my granny’s penthouse, knocking at the door even though I had my own key.
The door swung open. Jackson stood there. He wore a pair of faded jeans, and his hair was damp. My mouth went dry as my eyes traveled over his naked muscular torso.
“Hey,” his expression was guarded.
I felt suddenly, ridiculously, nervous. “Hey. Sorry to bother you.”
He swung the door wide open. “Come on in.”
I followed him inside. Seeing a half-naked Jackson in my granny’s penthouse felt like two worlds colliding. I felt a mixture of such loneliness and sorrow, loss and love that I wanted to throw myself on the familiar marble floor and weep with desperation.
He glanced over his shoulder and turned around when he saw the expression on my face. “You okay?”
I swallowed, momentarily unable to speak. “It’s just hard to be here.”
With you.
Something tender flickered in his eyes. “I bet.”
“I should go,” I said, spinning around and moving towards the door.
I opened it, but a big hand came up beside my head and pushed the door shut. His voice was deep and low in my opposite ear, “Where are you going?”
A shudder the size of a California earthquake rippled down my spine. Desire, emotion, everything both good and bad quaked through my body. I could feel the heat of him through my t-shirt. His fresh, clean scent filled my nostrils. I felt like an addict who had stayed sober for a couple of weeks and now was face to face with my drug of choice.
