“Oh, that makes everything okay. Should I just bend over for you now?” I stared at him expectantly.

“I didn’t want to lie to you, but you being so far away drove me fucking crazy. You were thirteen hundred miles away,” he gritted.

“I lost my best friend for four fucking years because you’re a selfish, controlling bastard.”

“You wanted to leave. You couldn’t handle it either.”

“I never would have left her if I didn’t think it was necessary.”

“Exactly,” he barked, stalking me as I backed away. “You would have stayed and been miserable and unprotected, and I couldn’t allow that to happen.”

“It wasn’t your decision. I shouldn’t have to explain this to you. Even after she ran away, you continued to lie.” When he reached for me, I shifted, pissing him off further. “Is this how it will be?”

“What?”

“You manipulating me to get your way. Is that how it will be? What about what I want?”

“I gave you what you wanted.”

“Only because it was better for you! I didn’t want it like that. I didn’t want to hurt Willow. She was gone, Keiran, and if it weren’t for that crazy bitch, Esmerelda, she would have never come back.”

“You don’t know that.”

“But I do know you’re a fucking liar.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

KEIRAN

I was fucking this up. She looked at me as if I disgusted her, and I deserved it. The lie I told to get her close and keep her there had been a thorn in my side for five years. I wanted to come clean every time she looked at me with love and trust, but it never seemed like the right time.

My brother unintentionally brought it to light, and now I’d been backed into a corner. The only thing I could do now was to try to make her understand, but as I said, I was fucking this up.

“It’s late and you have nowhere to go.”

“Nowhere to go or nowhere you’d let me go,” she questioned, seeing right through me.

“Just stay tonight and hear me out in the morning.” When she didn’t budge or soften, I added, “Please.”

“A few hours won’t change anything.” She sounded sad and wouldn’t meet my gaze. She walked past me and into the house. My relief was short lived when I returned to the kitchen just to find her empty seat and five sets of eyes watching me.

“She said goodnight and went upstairs,” Sheldon offered. I nodded and stood awkwardly in the doorway. They all watched me closely, but I didn’t see them. I was torn between finishing my first dinner with my grandparents and un-fucking-up my relationship once more.

“Well, I think I’m stuffed,” Daniel announced and stood. He pulled back Wendy’s chair and helped her from her seat.

“Yes, I think we’ll go now,” Wendy said, taking his cue. They said goodbye to Kennedy and promised to see her again before leaving.

As they passed, Daniel clapped a hand on my shoulder and mumbled, “Do the right thing.”

The front door closed behind him, and the momentary silence was broken my Keenan. “You want to tell me what I just walked into?”

“Ditto,” Sheldon chimed.

I scrubbed a hand across the back of my neck and forced myself to speak. “I set up the fight with Sean to get Lake to leave her school and transfer to mine.”

“You rat bastard.”

“Damn, bro. Why didn’t you tell me and how are you going to fix this?”

“I don’t know. Do I go up there and be honest by telling her I’m sorry for lying, but I don’t regret what I did?”

“That’s one way to ensure you’re single for the rest of your life,” Sheldon answered.

“You could promise never to do it again,” Keenan suggested and earned a glare from Sheldon that I’m sure shrunk his balls.

“I’m not sure how you could fix this,” Sheldon argued. “But if anyone can, I think it’s you. Just don’t go up there and be all growly and mean.”

They started laughing and brainstorming ways that Lake would likely tell me to fuck myself instead of forgiving me, so I backed out before my irritation got the best of me and slowly took the stairs. They didn’t see the way she looked at me as if I had betrayed her. I rehearsed in my head how to apologize but none if it was sufficient. By the time I reached my old bedroom door, I was still stuck on stupid. I heard her crying and leaned my forehead against the door.

“I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” My plea would never reach her. She continued to cry on the other side, and I couldn’t stand being the one who caused her tears.