Page 58 of Rejected Heart

I wouldn’t.

But I also didn’t want her blaming herself or thinking she’d done anything wrong in this situation.

Unfortunately, things weren’t getting any better forme, so maybe it was best to talk it through like I had all those years ago.

“I went to see her.”

“Well, that explains some of it,” Jules murmured. “How did it go?”

I closed my eyes again and let out a deep sigh. “I don’t even know if that’s the right question. You’d be better off asking me how everything has been going since I went there.”

Jules turned in the chair, so her entire body was facing me. “I might have asked that if I didn’t already know the answer. Whatever happened, I know it wasn’t good. What did she say when she saw you?”

“Not much.”

“Really?” Her disbelief nearly matched mine that day.

I inclined my head. “Yes. Every time I spoke, she either said my name or she apologized.”

Jules took a moment to consider that response. “Well, maybe that could be a good thing…?”

“What’s a good thing?”

I’d been so caught up in my discussion with Jules that I hadn’t heard Tate make his approach. Even if he didn’t know for sure what our sister and I were discussing, I was willing to bet he had an inkling.

“Hey, Tate,” I mumbled.

My brother clapped me on the shoulder, squeezed, and sat down. “Liam. Jules.”

“Hi, Tate. Where’s Ava?”

He chuckled. “Fighting with the rest of the familyover Roselle. It seems nobody can get enough of that little girl, so I took myself out of the chaos. I love my niece more than anything, but I’m convinced there’s going to be bloodshed over her soon.”

“The poor girl,” Jules murmured.

“Or the lucky one,” Tate countered. “I swear, she’s never going to want for anything. And if Rosie learns and understands how everyone feels about her and decides to use it for evil when she’s older, we’re in big trouble.”

“I’m sure Skye and Cooper will step in before things get out of control,” Jules insisted.

For the first time since I’d come to sit out near the lake away from the crowd, I smiled. The mere thought of my niece was the one thing that could bring me a hint of joy. Earlier in the day, I’d managed a laugh or two, and that had only happened because of her. Not even the things that the rest of my family did that would have normally left me feeling good could do the trick.

Not today.

“So, I was watching as I approached, and it seems the conversation was a bit tense. Is everything okay?”

Jules didn’t give me a chance to respond and was all too eager to share the truth with Tate. “Liam went to see Layla two days ago.”

“Oh.” He hesitated for a bit, clearly needing a minute to digest that information. “How did it go?”

“I already asked him that,” Jules shared. “He revealed that Layla didn’t say much. She only apologized and said his name. And I thought that perhaps that was a good thing.”

Tate looked in my direction and held my stare for a few beats. “Are you okay?”

I shrugged and answered honestly. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“I had a feeling. You were especially quiet today. So, she didn’t tell you what happened or why things went south for her?”

“Nope.”

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