Page 132 of A Captive Situation

We’d left her behind. Left Jake behind.

But he’d be okay. I was trying to tell myself that.

He knew what he was doing.

I needed to trust him ...

This time right now was precious. It was one of the reasons I came.

“That girl will be fine.” My mom was trying to reassure me, eyeing me.

I tried to give her a smile, but it fell.

“We’ll give it some time and look her up. We’ll reach out. Everything will be fine, honey. I know things have been stressful, but honey, we’ll make a list. Write down everything that needs to be done. Cross it out as we accomplish it. Okay?”

“That’s a great idea, Aunt Phyllis.”

She gave Graham a warm smile. “Thank you, honey. You have no idea how stressful the wedding’s been with Beck—” She stopped talking, remembering all of a sudden the reason that set all of this off. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”

I was good with letting it go. I wanted to see what happened.

I leaned heavily against Oliver and Graham, giving her a wave. “No problem, Mom. I’m all good about that situation. When we get back, I’ll need to hand in my resignation, if Beck hasn’t officially fired me. And kick him out of my house. Though, I’m hoping he’s living with Manda now since I guess they got married.”

All other conversations stopped.

Their attention swung my way.

I held up my watermelon drink. It was almost all gone.

“House?” My mom’s voice cracked, but it was sharp. Correction, it was pissed off. My mom was pissed off. “House?That’s your house?”

Oh ... I forgot. “Yeah.” I gave them a weak smile. “Oops. We never told anyone because of Beck’s ego and all, but yeah. It’s my house. I bought it.”

Someone sucked in some air.

“Is it in your name?” Oliver asked me, still hugging me.

I nodded, some pride filling my chest. “Beck was ticked about that, but I bought it. The mortgage is in my name. The title is in my name. It’s all mine. None of it is his.”

A new calculating gleam came over Oliver and he shared a secretive smile over my head. He squeezed me to his chest. “Please, Sawyer. Please let me help you with this. I would love nothing more than tohelp draft a letter that you can give to your ex. He will be packed and out of that house within half a day. I love doing this sort of thing.” He waited, brimming with excited energy.

Graham whispered in my ear, “He had an ex before me that was a freeloader. This is his thing. He’s helped some of our other friends in similar situations.”

“I—” I gave Oliver a smile. “Sure. I mean, why not. I’d love the help.”

His eyes got so big, delighted. “I’m going to start now.”

“Wait.” I caught him before he rushed off and held out my now-empty glass. “Can you make another? Before you go and do your thing?”

“Oh.” He laughed, taking the glass. “Of course.” He went over to the liquor cabinet, the back of his ears a little red.

Without Oliver on my other side, Graham pulled me so my front was into his side, as if he were happy to have me all to himself. He spoke over my head, his breath teasing my forehead. “So have the four of you figured your shit out? Because, Mom, I’ve not pushed getting to know my family. I did that mostly because it was exhausting to ask you how my aunts and my cousin were doing. You never wanted to talk about them so I let it go. When I moved out here, I was all about my life being here and then I was all about Oliver. When I got older, with the distance it was easier to let it go, but not anymore. Sawyer came here for me. My aunts have all come here. Stayed at my house. I love you, Mom, but the separation ends here. No matter what is resolved, or if you decide to fall back on old habits, I’m going to have a relationship with them.”

She returned, “I would never ask you not to have a relationship with them. I never did.”

Graham said, a little more tender, “But you’re my mom. You set the tone. I was doing what I thought you wanted. I didn’t want to open old wounds.”

She was blinking back some tears. “I never meant to be a block between you or my girls and the rest of the family. It’s been me. It’s just how I am. I’ve always struggled letting people in. I learned not toopen up to people. Mostly they don’t want to hear what you have to say unless it goes along with the status quo. Whatever’s convenient, but I’m not convenient. I know this about me. But I never wanted that to affect you or your sisters. I’m sorry for that. I really am. I—it just felt safer to stay away.” She lowered her head, her shoulders pulling in. “I need to work on that.”

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