Page 133 of Outlaw Heartstrings
Emmeline’s knees instantly buckle. Easton manages to catch her before she lands on the ground. I pull a chair in her direction and Easton maneuvers her into the seat while Christopher tries to save his own ass.
“That’s ludicrous. That’s a lie!” he shouts. “Emmeline, I have no idea what these people are talking about.”
“So were you or were you not sleeping with my sister nine years ago?” I demand. “While you and I were dating, I might add.”
Emmeline’s eyes are wide and watery. “Christopher, is all of this true?”
“That’s an insulting question. This whole conversation is insulting. Defamatory, even. An attack on my character. I’m not going to answer it.” He stomps his foot.
Easton rolls his eyes. “A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ is all we’re looking for, bro.”
I bring my gaze to Emmeline, trying to speak as gently as I can despite the anger brimming inside me. “I didn’t know any of this until last night,” I begin. “Raya claims that she and Christopher were sneaking around behind my back. I’m guessing that when she told him she was pregnant with Jagger, he wanted nothing to do with the situation. So she never admitted that he was the father. Instead, she told me that it was Easton’s baby.” I sigh. “She figured that since he had left town to go play hockey, I’d never be able to verify the truth. But now, Easton is back and Raya’s entire lie has fallen apart.”
Each word tastes like bile on my tongue as I utter it. I’m so disgusted that Christopher not only cheated on me with my sister—while knowing I was saving my virginity for him, by the way—but he then dumped me while watching me break my back to care for his very own son.
I know a lot of shitty people in my life and he is definitely among the worst of them.
“You knew all this, Chris?” Emmeline’s voice shakes as she leers across the room at her husband. “All these years, you knew that little boy was your child and you never said anything?”
“Raya Anderson is a liar,” Christopher accuses with a stomp of his foot.
Emmeline shakes her head. “Well, a simple paternity test should be able to put the issue to rest.”
“They can’t force me!” Christopher protests, folding his arms over his chest like a spoiled child. He turns to Easton and me. “You can’t force me!”
Emmeline slowly rises from her chair, her eyes containing more fire than I’ve ever seen in her before.
Her voice shakes the room. “If you have any desire to save this marriage, they won’t have to force you.”
Christopher visibly shivers. “Emmeline, what are you saying?”
She repeats herself slowly. “If you want to…save…this…marriage, you will do the right thing, Christopher.” She turns to Easton and me, putting on a congenial smile despite the tears in her eyes. Spine straight, with a protective hand bracing her stomach, she wobbles toward the door. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my congregation. Have a wonderful evening.”
My chest swells with pride as I watch her stomp away.
Go, Mama Bear.
49
ALBA
Ikiss the top of Jagger’s head as I turn out the light beside his bed.
He claimed to have a tummy ache and asked if he could go to sleep early tonight. Poor little guy. He hasn’t been the same since the other night when Raya came back and everything blew up in our faces. I’ve been trying to act normal, like everything is okay.
But the truth is, Easton hasn’t been coming around like he used to. In fact, he went back to Sin Valley a few days ago for ‘hockey stuff’ and I haven’t gotten more than a few text messages out of him since. I have no idea where we stand.
Jagger and I have been eating alone and the gaping hole Easton has left at our table mocks us every night at dinner time. I don’t blame my nephew for not wanting to face the hurtful truth again tonight—Easton has abandoned us.
Like my dad. Like Raya. Like Christopher.
Everybody abandons us.
It’s bad enough thatmyheart is broken. But seeing Jagger take the kick to his self-esteem? That’s what kills me,and now I’m blaming myself for not protecting him the way I should have.
I step out of Jagger’s room, closing the door softly behind me. I’m halfway down the hallway when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I feel a tiny bit better when I see Julissa’s name on the screen.
“Hello?” I say, my voice sounding rusty and tired to my own ears.
