Kendall is furious, standing in front of me in the kitchen. I came to say goodbye to Magnolia before I boarded the plane for San Diego. When I saw her busy in the garage, I decided to meander into the house for a drink of water. Obviously, a huge fucking mistake. Huge.
“He told me you are a player. That you’re just using my mom. He told me you’re going to leave her because she’s too old. All you SEALs like them young,” Kendall says, face tear-stained.
I hold up my palms. “Who said this?”
“That doesn’t matter! It’s true isn’t it?”
“It’s not true. I’ve told you this before! Who told you that?” The panic sets in. I’m not equipped for this scenario. I have no idea what to say to calm a teenaged girl. When Kendall first confronted me about this, I assumed it was town gossip. It’s evident now that’s not the case. “I love your mom.”
“Bullshit. You’re using her to get to me.”
I swallow hard. Her father. The younger woman he had an affair with. Kendall is projecting her fears onto me. That’s the only explanation. “Kendall, calm down. That’s not true at all.”
“I’m off limits so you’re getting to me through her. That’s what Leo said.”
Anger. Seething red anger beats at my rib cage like an animal seeking freedom. “Leo told you that? What else did he say?” I’m going to kill the kid. Slaughter him like a goddamn enemy on the battlefield. He’s miserable and he’s taking everyone down with him. The guy is a motherfucking grenade.
“I can assure you everything he said is false. Did he touch you?” Another breed of fury rears when I envision Leo doing anything untoward to Kendall. “Be honest with me.”
Kendall looks away, out the window. “Don’t do that,” she yells.
“What?” I ask, my tone louder than I intended.
Her face wilts. “Pretend that you care about me.” My heart breaks.
“I do care about you. I love you and your mother. This is it for me, kid.”
She aims a finger at me like a gun. “You’re such a liar. Like all men. Every one of you! All you do is lie!”
It takes a second or two for her accusation to settle in. For the horror and shock to take hold. I don’t say anything.
“You want me.”
I shake my head, sadly. How fucked up is this? “Not like that, kid. Not like that.”
“He told me so. I believe him,” Kendall says, glancing quickly out the kitchen window. “And I’m going to help my mom now before it’s too late. I want her all to myself and I’m going to save her before this goes on any longer.”
I furrow my brow. “What?” My anger is so permeating, I can’t calculate her next move, and I should, because it’s my job to predict others’ actions. Love has fucked me up and down and every which way a person can be fucked.
The back screen door slams.Magnolia.Kendall throws herself into my arms and I think she’s hugging me. Like maybe she’s upset and wants to be comforted by a father figure. She’s distraught. That’s not a leap, right? But then she twines her fingers into my hair and presses her mouth against mine.
What.
The.
Fuck.
Is.
Happening.
I put my hands against her shoulders, but my body is shocked, unable to process what is taking place. I don’t move my lips as Kendall’s work against mine, in fact, I don’t move a fucking muscle—not even to breathe.
“Aidan,” Magnolia yells. “What the hell is going on?” Her sweet, albeit broken voice dashes the haze surrounding my body. I push Kendall away in a stiff jerky movement. Facing Magnolia, I see the pain. The betrayal reflecting in her eyes. I see her reliving her worst nightmare once more. My stomach churns and my heart pounds.
“Magnolia. No. No,” I plead. My voice sounds wrong. As if I’m outside, listening to someone else say the words. I see the sever—the disconnect, and I know nothing I’ll say will matter. There is no witty joke or cocky swagger that can repair the scene she sees in front of her. I swallow hard.
Fuck.
