Page 103 of The Truth of Our Secrets

Although he has a place to stay, it’s only out of Cole’s generosity and ours. He’s the definition of homeless, so I’m not lying.

“It’s true. He’s been paying your bills so you can live here, plus your medical bills, and he doesn’t have enough money to rent an apartment. He stays with friends. What you bought costmore than he makes in a month after taxes.He’s homeless.” I stress the last sentence so she understands the seriousness of the situation.

Chapter thirty-five

Jayce

Emmet stumbles but I’ve got a tight hold on him so he doesn’t fall, and I lean him against the car to keep him upright. “I need you to breathe with me. In.” I count to three. “And out.” He mimics me when I place his hand over my chest.

He swallows but chokes. He’s had to handle this on his own for so many years and a lesser man would’ve crumbled under the pressure. Or walked away. He’s a fighter. An angel.

“Don’t think about anything but breathing right now. We’ll—” His face scrunches up at that word. “You’llfigure this out. You always do. Breathe. Think later.” He reluctantly copies my exaggerated breaths. It takes a couple minutes, but his heart stops racing.

“I’m going to call the company and return the stuff. She hasn’t opened it yet. I think there’s more paperwork.” He steps around me toward the trailer.

“Great plan.” I don’t want him out of my sight or anywhere near the sad excuse of a home he grew up in, but I can’t make it worse by trying to control the situation.

He jogs back to me, and I use the flashlight on my phone so he can see. It’s cloudy, making it as dark as midnight. He circles the order number and dials customer service.

We listen to annoying as hell hold music. It takes a lifetime before a person comes on the line.

Emmet’s professional as he explains the situation to the customer service rep.

“I’m sorry, sir, we do not issue refunds once our clients accept delivery.”

He takes a deep breath. “Listen, someone lied to my mother and told them I sent your sales rep, Peter, here to talk to her.”

Emmet tries to reason with them.

“She purchased the items under false pretenses from someone who pretended to represent your company.”

They go round and round until he snaps, “I’d like to talk to your supervisor.”

I rub large circles on his back, hoping it’s soothing. It would be so easy for me to pay for it. But he specifically asked me not to, so I won’t.

We hear a click and think she hung up, but the music comes on and we both exhale.

“I’m not hanging up. The fuckers have to talk to me,” Emmet rages.

I lean on the car, spreading my legs wide to pull him against me, his back to my front. He comes easily and I’m relieved I can provide him comfort.

He rests his head back on my shoulder.

After another circle of hell amount of time, a man’s voice comes on the phone and Emmet explains the entire situation again.

“This is the craziest excuse of buyer remorse I’ve ever heard.” The man on the phone laughs. “As if someone would impersonate one of our salespeople to sell our amazing product.”

“I get it. It sounds crazy, but my…my…” He cringes, steps away from me, and continues, “My boyfriend’s ex is trying to get revenge and is using my mother.”

My heart nearly explodes when he calls me his boyfriend. Of course, he used the term to make a point, but I love it. There’s a deep desire to live up to that title.

“Listen, man, even if your story is true, which I don’t think it is, the fact remains, we don’t issue refunds.”

Emmet’s breath sharpens as his stress spikes. I think he’s about to go on a tirade.

We’re in this together. He’s mine and Madyson’s to care for in good times and bad.

He won’t let me pay, but I can’t let him suffer, so I remove the phone from his hand and mouth, “Trust me.”

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