Page 30 of Wreckage of Us
I was going to say that I didn’t think I’d see him again, but it somehow doesn’t feel right to do it in front of his son.
“My family wanted to meet you before they go back home,” Dylan explains oh-so-casually, right before he walks by me and barges into my house.
I close the door with a soft click and lean against it. I hear voices from the living room, and I don’t know what to do with any of this.
“Becky,” Colton’s distressed voice calls out to me, and I see him walking with purpose from where everyone is congregating.
“Colt, what happened?” It’s like he left the house earlier and came back now with all these people we don’t even know.
“I panicked and went to Dylan to ask for help,” he confesses.
My hand goes automatically to my belly, pressing against it protectively.
“Help with what, Colt?”
“That woman who showed up here,” he explains in an agitated tone. “I know she said she didn’t send those messages, but she looked crazy, Becky.” He grabs my hand and squeezes, begging me to understand. “And after I saw that last message, I just worried, and…”
I want to be mad at my little brother because he went to ask for help the one man who doesn’t want to have anything to do with us. Maybe I should’ve been clearer with him when I told him about Dylan’s intentions toward me, or lack thereof.
At the same time, how can I stay mad at him? He’s just trying to help me. I probably would’ve done the same if the tables were turned.
I now throw my arms around him. “Thank you for caring this much, Colt,” I whisper into his chest. “It’s all good now, I cleared it with Oliver,” I explain. “But thank you anyway for trying to help.”
“What did Oliver say?” Colt pushes me away from him a little so he could see my face.
“He didn’t know she was crazy?” I shrug in question and laugh. “He said they didn’t date for that long. He wasn’t aware she was stalker material.”
“Oh geez,” Colt mumbles under his breath, making me laugh.
“So why did everyone come here?” I glance around him so I could look at my overpopulated living area. The baby is now crying a little, putting Alison and Wyatt on high alert as they’re trying to figure out what the deal is.
“I have to travel a lot in the next couple of months,” Colt explains but doesn’t really make any sense. “And I worry about you being here by yourself while we figure out living arrangements out in Michigan,” he continues, giving me his puppy eye look.
“It still doesn’t explain why everyone is in our house today, Colt,” I shove at his shoulder playfully.
“Oh, well, I…” He moves from one foot to the other, looking uncomfortable for a while.
“I’m going to stay with you,” Dylan’s voice cuts into our conversation.
“What?” I turn my head toward him so fast, I almost get dizzy from the movement.
“I don’t want you here by yourself either,” he shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Especially now with…” He doesn’t say the words, just moves his eyes to my belly, a look of complete wonder taking over. I don’t buy any of it though.
“I’ll be perfectly fine by myself,” I tell them both, taking a couple of steps back and wrapping my arms around me. “I’m always alone when you travel, Colt,” I look at my brother. “And maybe I’ll come to Michigan sooner rather than later.”
“Michigan?” Dylan thunders from the sidelines.
“Yeah,” Colt, God bless him, completely unaware of the cold front coming off in waves from Dylan, turns to him to grin. “Me and Becca were talking earlier. I don’t want to go to school that far now that she’s having the baby. And she agreed to move to Michigan so I can help.”
Technically, I don’t remember actually saying those exact words to him. I did think about it before he even mentioned it, and of course I want to be closer to my brother now that our little family is growing. But now, seeing the look on Dylan’s face, I am not sure of anything anymore.
“Is that a problem?” I decide to challenge him.
“You can’t move to Michigan,” he tells me calmly. Maybe too calm, almost like he’s trying really hard not to snap.
I snort at that. “I can move wherever I want to.”
“Not with my baby, you can’t,” he deadpans, and I am left speechless.
