Page 121 of Rival

She winces, but I push through. I need her to hear this.

“The things I blamed your father for, which were never his sins to carry.” Meeting my mom’s shining eyes, she dips her head, encouraging me. “So, today’s truth is that Julia is the one who chose to sneak out that night. No one forced her to slip out her window and go to a party. That was her choice alone.”

Edith’s hair is hanging in front of her face as she picks at the shirt bunching over her stomach. Her shoulders hitch up a few times as she sucks in a breath, then she turns her face to the side to wipe away a tear.

Mom hands her a fresh napkin, and Edith lets out a watery laugh. “Sorry, it’s these darn hormones. I wasn’t—” She chokes on a sob, and hangs her head again, trying to apologize.

Griffin is reaching out for her, and Mason is already getting up from his chair, but I beat him to her side, squatting down so she can see me. “I wasn’t going to do any of the heavy stuff tonight, and I won’t say more. I’d love to tell you though, if you’ll listen.”

She’s nodding her head, swiping quickly at the faster falling tears.

“Why don’t you take Edith for a drive to your place, see if she’d be comfortable stayin’ there while the house sells? Your momma can pack up an extra plate.”

I flash my father a thankful smile, then check with Mason and Griffin. They have as much skin in the game as I do. As much as I want her to myself, it wouldn’t be right to exclude them.

“You both alright with that?”

“Whatever she wants,” Griffin says thickly. Mason nods once, so I wait for Edith to agree.

Shifting to stand when she agrees, I help her up as she’s still doing her best to stem the tears. Thanking my parents for dinner, I walk her to my truck and drive us to my place.

I keep eyeing her as she stares out the window, giving up on her fight to stop crying. Swallowing nervously, I decide to take a risk.

“Can I tell you one other truth I have? I don’t want you to say anything, but will you hear it?”

Without looking at me, she nods her head a few times. I can see her reflection in the window, but she’s so lost she doesn’t notice me watching.

“My other truth is that I fell in love with you all those months ago, and I have so much regret that I threw away my time to shower you with it.”

She doesn’t say anything, listening without responding, just like I asked her to, but I catch the way she slowly closes her eyes as my words dig into her.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Edith

31 weeks and 0 days

Three and a half weeks is all it took to get out from under my father’s house. Today is the day I sign the papers for the closing. I feel as if a load is off my shoulders, which has moved directly to my protruding stomach.

Griffin insisted on being the one to accompany me today. I had to put my foot down when the other two asked as well, but I woke not feeling physically great. Out of all of them, Griffin seems to be the one who doesn’t hover as much when I can’t hide the faces I make.

It’s been tough since the dinner with Jaxon and his parents. Ilovewhat they’re doing together, but his second truth in the truck on the drive to his place wrecked me to my core.

You’re worthy and DESERVING of love and you don’t have to earn it.

That’s been the hardest lesson to believe. I’ve sought it out for as long as I can remember, but I’ve never been told someone loved me before. Never once. Jaxon was the first, and it cameon the tail end of words of hate. Those are two very powerful emotions. My head is telling me he wouldn’t be doing all this work if he didn’t feel something. I just can’t help but worry it’s stemming from guilt.

And God, my heart… Myheartstill hurts.

Groaning, I shift to the side and a zap of nerve pain travels like a whip through my hip before shooting down my leg. Thankfully, no one is around to hear the whimper I let escape, breathing through the pain until it dissipates.

Why is this so hard?

“I think they’re headed here now,” Griffin says, slipping into the conference room with a paper cup of water in his hand. “The lady at the front desk says these things don’t normally go longer than about forty-five minutes. You have the keys to the house, right?”

Closing my eyes, I nod quickly. I don’t think I can say anything as this nerve pain rockets through me once again. It’s happening more often now, and I can’t seem to do anything to ease it.

The chair slides next to me as he settles in close, his warm palm going straight to the spot on my lower back where the source of everything evil in this world is centered. His warmth seeps through my shirt as he rubs at it gently. “You gonna make it, darlin’? I’m not sure this is the sort of thing you can reschedule.”