Page 109 of My Fiancé's Brother

I felt so much anger and hurt on behalf of Jackson, I couldn’t even speak. “You're wrong on every single level.”

“She’s right,” Jackson’s low voice spoke from beside us. He stood there with a tray of coffees for us. His expression was impossible to read. “I'll go.”

My heart cracked when I looked at Jackson. He had emotionally stepped back so far behind a wall, all that was left behind was a man completely devoid of emotion.

“No,” I said sharply. “This is wrong.”

Jackson handed Irene the tray of coffees, and then he reached forward and kissed her on the forehead. “I want Matt to get better as much as you do. He and I will have to work on our relationship when he’s feeling stronger.”

Irene’s cheeks burned pink. She was unable to meet either of our eyes. “I'm going to check on Matt.”

We stood there until the whoosh of the heavy door shut behind her.

“I hate her,” I said with venom in my voice. “And right now I hate Matt.”

Something flickered in Jackson’s eyes. “Emily. You need to be there for them.”

But who would be there for me? I tried not to beg without avail, “Don’t go. Please don’t go.”

Green eyes looked down at my face. “Can you take care of both of them for me?”

I shook my head, fighting tears. “They don’t deserve your care or your love.”

“No,” he said gently. “It’s the other way around.”

My face crumpled. I felt so much hurt on Jackson's behalf that I almost couldn’t breathe. How much rejection and pain had this manexperienced in his life that he believed he didn’t deserve their love. “Where will you go?”

“I'll be around. I have to finish my outpatient treatment.”

“You're going to be staying in New York?” My heart started to beat again.

His gaze fixated on something beyond my head. “I have another seven weeks here.”

I worked to swallow, my thoughts immediately going to my granny’s penthouse. “You need a place to stay. You can stay at my other place.”

His eyes swung back to my face. He rocked on his heels. “Not necessary.”

I started to dig through my purse for my keys frantically. “It is a full-sized penthouse with a pool and the most incredible gym. There are six bedrooms and a kitchen. Fully furnished, a nice big patio. There's even cleaning staff that comes once a week. I'll let them know you're coming. Martha can stock the kitchen. It'll be no problem.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Emily. I don’t need to stay there. I can find my own place.”

I pulled the keys out and my face lifted to his. I wanted him to stay there. Even if I couldn’t be near him, it would bring me a measure of comfort knowing where he was. At least for the next seven weeks.

It was incredibly manipulative, but I pulled the one string that I knew would do the trick. “It'd make me feel safe, and it would bring me comfort to know where you are. In case I need you.”

Green eyes studied my face for a long moment. And then he gave me a curt nod. “Text me the address.”

CHAPTER 39

After being readthe riot act from Matt’s doctor, Irene and I fell into an uneasy truce. No one mentioned Jackson, and his presence had all but been erased. I, on the other hand, felt such a loss at his departure, I thought my heart was going to split.

That first night when we came home and found his room cleared out and his keys on the island, I almost burst into tears. I called Martha, and she had assured me that the penthouse was ready before he arrived.

One day bled into another. I drove Irene to the hospital, and we took turns visiting with Matt. Mostly he slept. I stole away, a couple of times during the day, to drive back to the loft and take Chloe out for potty breaks. I hated how alone the loft felt without Jackson.

Incredibly gracious and understanding, the gallery assured me that I didn’t need to return until everything was back to normal.

It was a surreal experience talking with Matt. He remembered nothing. The doctors warned me that I should not discuss Matt’s negative behavior prior to the accident. They told both Irene and I that we needed to keep him calm. When he was back on his feet, we could share some of the events that had occurred. As it was, we stillhadn’t told him that he had been drinking and driving without a seatbelt.

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