Page 134 of Playing Dirty

Mom pins me with a glare. “You’re not staying here alone overnight.”

“Madden is right down the hall,” I point out.

“Yes, and Carla is staying in there with him so he doesn’t attempt to sneak down here.”

My gaze snaps to my father—the source of the statement—and my lips part to respond, but my mother beats me to the punch.

“Which means one or both of us will be staying with you as well.”

Well, fuck a duck.

I just got cuddle-blocked by my fucking parents.

The thought is gone as soon as it enters my head, though, after realizing what my father said. All the pain meds the nurses have been pumping into me have made it a little harder to comprehend everything that’s been happening, but I know the two of them saw Madden and me together in my bed earlier. And I remember Madden telling me he spoke to his mom, and from the way he sounded, I’d assumed she was supportive of it. I should’ve known the view wouldn’t necessarily extend to my father, which is why I can’t be surprised he’s the one trying to keep us apart.

I just wasn’t expecting my mom to be on his side.

“Staying here a few nights isn’t going to be enough to stop us from being together,” I tell them, the bite in my tone leaving little room for debate. “I love him, and—”

“We’re not trying to stop anything, Theo,” Mom cuts in delicately.

“Really? It sure seems like you are.”

My glare locks on my father, despite Mom being the one I’m conversing with, and he doesn’t so much as blink. There’s not a flick of emotion in those blueirises as he looks at me, assessing and scrutinizing as always.

“We’ve already asked for you to be transferred to the same room,” Mom starts, slicing through my irritation, “but Madden’s being discharged tomorrow, so they didn’t see the point in moving him for one night.”

The statement has my attention darting to my mother, gauging it as sincere the moment my gaze collides with hers.

Oh.

A sheepish sort of grimace pulls at my lips, and some strange mixture of guilt and embarrassment coils in my stomach. Because that was certainly a turn of events I wasn’t expecting, and it’s the only reason I find myself fumbling for some sort of explanation.

“Look, I know it might be a little strange, but—”

“You don’t have to explain anything, son,” says my father.

I glance up to find him drawing up a chair beside me. A somber expression pulls his face down as he meets my gaze, and I can’t help the confusion grabbing hold of me.

“He’s right, love,” Mom whispers, grabbing my attention again. “You don’t owe us any sort of explanation for what’s happening between you and Madden. But…I think it’s time we gave you one.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask slowly.

Mom glances over to my father, her eyes imploring as she gives him a nod.

He folds his hands in front of him, resting them on the mattress top beside my shoulder, and for the first time in…God, ever, my dad looks uncertain and off-balance. Nervous, even, and it’s enough to make me wonder where this could possibly be going.

“Look, Theo,” he begins, his brows drawn at the center, “I know you’re still angry with me, and things haven’t been easy since your mom and I split. I recognize I’m to blame for that, and…I’m sorry.”

I frown at the unexpected apology. “It’s fine, don’t—”

“No, just let me say this, okay?” he cuts in, lifting one hand to rest on my shoulder. “Your mom and I… We did a really good job at hiding the flaws of our marriage from you. We weren’t in a good place long before you ever went to college, and neither of us were truly happy. Staying together was the easier option. It was comfortable, and I was content…until Carla came into the picture.” He looks over at my mother, his eyes already glimmering with unshed tears before whispering, “I should have left, I know that. Before I crossed the line and had an affair, I should have asked for a divorce, and that’s a regret I’ll live with for the rest of my life. Hurting either of you the way I have… It’s not something I envisioned ever doing.”

“But you did,” I state as I look from him to Mom and back again. Because she can’t seriously be buying this shit. “You destroyed everything. You—”

“Oh, my love,” Mom cuts in, her hand tightening around mine. “It takes two people to be in a marriage, and it takes two to let it fall apart. And it’s our love for you that held us together as long as we did. Not love for each other.”

Her gaze flicks to my father for the briefest moment before she looks back at me, a genuine smile crossing her face.