Page 85 of Now That It's You
“Oh, Meggy,” she sniffed. “You just don’t understand.”
Kyle watched the heat flare in Meg’s eyes. “I don’t understand being cheated on by the man who’s supposed to love me forever?”
Patti’s eyes widened a little, and she seemed to consider her words. “You don’t understand the sort of commitment it takes to say, ‘I take you for better or worse, and right now we happen to be smack-dab in the middle of worse.’”
“You’re right, I don’t understand that,” Meg said. “I don’t understand sacrificing myself to a man who doesn’t love and respect me enough to avoid screwing someone else.”
Kyle felt himself stiffen. Meg’s gaze shifted to him, and he realized she’d probably caught the gesture. “Sorry, Kyle. I don’t mean to disparage your brother?—”
“His late brother,” Patti reminded her.
“Thanks, Mom,” Meg muttered through gritted teeth. “You think I’d forgotten?”
“Of course not, dear. All I’m saying is that sometimes a little forgiveness goes a long way.”
“Oh really?” Meg bolted up off the couch, her cheeks flaming now. “Where has forgiveness gotten you, Mom? Cheated on how many dozens of times? I’m sorry, but I wasn’t willing to put up with that. Not then, not now, not ever.”
“Meggy, honey?—”
“Don’t patronize me.” Meg paced at the edge of the couch, and Kyle admired her conviction, along with her curves. “I’m sorry for what you’re going through with Dad, I really am. But if you want my honest opinion, you’re better off without him.”
“Meg!”
“Well, it’s true.” Her gaze swung to Kyle, and he had a sudden urge to apologize for his brother. Again. But he kept quiet, sensing Meg needed to rage without interruption.
“I have a lot of regrets in my relationship with your brother,” she said. “But drawing the line over the affair wasn’t one of them. He always knew that was a deal breaker for me.”
“Understood,” Kyle said softly, his mind swirling with his own regrets. He wished he could take her in his arms, but he knew now wasn’t the time.
Meg’s gaze swung back to her mother. “Mom, I’m so sorry for what you’re going through. You don’t deserve it.”
“I know,” Patti said, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
“If you just want a hug, I can do that. But if you’re ready to say you’ve had enough, I’ll help you find a divorce lawyer and we can end this thing once and for all. Do you want to take that step?”
Patti looked at her daughter, her eyes watery and her face etched into a frown. She looked over at Kyle, and he wondered if he should offer words of encouragement or just keep his mouth shut.
Before he could say anything, Meg sat down beside her mother and put her arms around her. “You don’t have to decide right now, Mom. But when you’re ready to take charge of your life, I’m there for you. I hope you know that.”
“Thank you, sweetie.” Patti stroked Meg’s back, and it was such a tender moment Kyle could overlook the snot she kept smearing on Meg’s shoulder. “I’ll give it some thought.”
Kyle sat watching mother and daughter locked in an embrace, his heart aching for reasons that had nothing to do with their conversation.
It was after midnight by the time Meg’s mom finally left the house. Meg felt exhausted and emotionally drained, which she knew was nothing compared with how her mother must be feeling.
She watched her mom’s car pull down the driveway, taillights flickering in the darkness. Meg had tried to get her to stay the night, but Patti had refused. “I want to be there when your father comes home,” she’d said. “Maybe we can talk this through.”
So Meg watched her mom’s car vanish around the corner. If there was something else she could do to help, she didn’t know what it was.
“You okay?”
She turned to see Kyle standing beside her in the entryway. He had his keys in his hand, and an uncertain look on his face. He stood close enough that only a thick sliver of light separated her body from his, but it felt like they were a million miles a part.
“I’m all right.” She let out a long, heavy sigh. “You’d think I’d be used to this by now, huh? It’s not like this is the first time it’s happened.”
“Doesn’t matter. It can’t be easy seeing your father hurt your mother that way.”
“No. I suppose it isn’t.”
