Page 66 of Family Forever
Chapter Sixteen
Marissa sat quietly with Dylan's brothers as they ate their breakfast and chatted about everything from school to sports, to the farm. It was the usual banter she had come to love over the past ten months. But not once did Dylan’s name come out of their mouths after Cole returned from talking with him in the bedroom. It was like they all knew a brother code or something. Yet, she was sure Cole hadn't told his younger siblings about the falling-out between her and Dylan. Though it wasn't really a falling-out, she wasn't mad at him, and she hoped she'd get the opportunity to explain her actions to him.
She forked a piece of sausage from her plate and stared at it. With as much as her stomach was swirling, she would likely throw up if she actually ate the greasy, sage-smelling meat.
Her body trembled, then her fork clinked loudly against her plate, reverberating off the kitchen walls. The room went silent as all heads turned in her direction.
"Sorry, it slipped out of my hand," she whispered, afraid speaking in a normal tone would give her uneasiness away.
Judging from the concerned looks on all the Jacobs brothers’ faces, her whisper failed her. Tears filled her eyes.
Cole offered a crooked, reassuring smile.
Luke, bless his little heart, rose from his chair, climbed onto her lap and hugged her. "It's okay, you just dropped your fork. You didn't break anything."
Oh, if only the little boy knew how she'd broken his big brother's heart, and equally as important, the bond of trust they had between them. How was she ever going to regain his trust and love? Doubt shadowed over her, maybe Dylan was right, maybe she was too young for this kind of relationship.
Luke's tiny, warm body felt comforting to her. At least this Jacobs brother still loved her, but for how long?Oh God!What if she messed things up so badly Dylan wouldn't let her see the boys anymore? That thought hadn’t occurred to her before. She would die, absolutely die, if she could no longer be a part of this house full of love. Her chest tightened, and she couldn't breathe. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Luke gripped her more firmly. Aric, Braden, and Nate stared at her with dumbfounded looks on their faces.
Cole stood and reached for her but halted on a dime. All gazes drifted to something—someone behind her. Dylan's woodsy scent gave him away, though who else could it be?
Luke slid off her lap.
She wanted to spin and face Dylan, yet she couldn’t seem to do so.
"Marissa." Dylan's voice was soft, with a tinge of edginess.
The warmth of his body drew closer to her. She swiped her moist cheeks with her sleeve, drew in a deep breath, stood, and spun to face him. His dark gaze grabbed hold of hers. The wounded look in his eyes caused her heart to ache even more. Her breath hitched. What had she done?
Within seconds, compassion softened his gaze. He reached up and cupped her cheeks in his large hands, and he swiped away the remaining teardrops from her molten skin.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart."
"Me too."
His soft lips pressed lightly to hers, and he lingered for just a moment before Luke's chuckle drew everyone's attention.
Dylan looked down at his little brother. "What's so funny, buddy?"
"You just kissed Marissa," the young boy responded as if he was informing Dylan of information he didn't know.
Dylan shot her a quick, satisfied look and dropped his hands to his sides. "I sure did."
Marissa risked a glance around the room. Cole smiled. Braden and Nate looked shocked. Aric, well as usual, she wasn't really sure what Aric may be thinking.
She glanced back at Dylan and smiled.
More relief whipped through her when he smiled in return but a hint of panic soon followed in light of the seriousness transitioning in his gaze.
"We need to talk." His sober tone added to her panic level.
The tingling of her lips reassured her he had actually kissed her a moment ago, but what was with all the somberness now?
She swallowed hard. "Yes, we do."
"First, I need to talk with my brothers. So can you please just wait in here for a few minutes? Then we'll talk."
Unable to speak, she nodded. What was this all about?
