Page 36 of That One Night (The Heartbreak Brothers Next Generation #4)

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

“Oh my goodness,” his mom said the next day when he arrived at his parent’s ranch at the edge of town. “Pres was right. You do look tired.” She took Hendrix’s hand in her own. “You need to slow down, sweetheart. I’m worried about you.”

“You don’t need to worry. I told you that.” He forced a smile onto his lips, following her inside the house he’d grown up in.

He and his brothers had experienced a privileged upbringing, no matter how much their parents tried to keep things real.

Sure, they’d gone to public school, had to work for their allowances, and were never allowed to slack off from helping out around the house, but not many kids got to grow up in a sprawling ranch complete with its own recording studio at the back.

“Where’s Dad?” he asked when they made it to the kitchen at the back of the house.

“Fiddling about in the studio. He’ll be in soon. Coffee?” his mom asked.

“Yes, please.”

For a second they were both silent as she grabbed two mugs from the cupboard and started up the machine their dad had bought her for Christmas. It was a bean to cup model, and she loved it.

“Pres said you have something you need me to sign,” Hendrix reminded her when she passed him his cup. Black, no cream or sugar. He took a long sip, enjoying the hit.

He’d left home early again this morning. Heading to the farm before coming here. Sure, he told himself it was because he was busy, but there was also the fact that the thought of watching Emery go to Trenton’s parents today would kill him.

He wanted to protect her. Wanted to run over and tell her to be careful, to watch out for that devious asshole.

But why would she listen? Hendrix was the one who’d hurt her more than anybody. She’d made that clear.

The only person he should be protecting her from was himself.

His mom pulled out a brown envelope, passing it over to him. “You’ll be a signatory on the charity bank account along with me, your dad, and your brothers.”

Hendrix took the pen she offered and signed his name on the line, dating below it. She smiled softly at him and put the form back into the envelope.

“So…” She let out a breath.

“So.” He lifted a brow.

“Emery Reed…”

She was really going there.

“Mom, we don’t have to talk about this. Whatever you saw, it’s dealt with. Over and done. I promise I won’t do anything else to embarrass you.”

Her brows pinched. “That wasn’t what I was going to say.”

“It wasn’t?”

She shook her head. “No. I was going to apologize. I was wrong to say anything to you about her at all. What you do in the privacy of your own home is your business, not mine. I’ve been feeling terrible about it ever since I left your place.” She let out a breath. “I didn’t mean to judge you.”

“Maybe you were right to judge me,” he told her.

“So you and Emery? You’re… a thing?”

“Not anymore.”

“Because she’s engaged?”

He winced at the mention of that.

And fuck it, after today all of Hartson’s Creek would know the truth. “She’s not engaged. She’s broken up with him. Has been for a while, just not publicly.” He winced. “It’s a mess.”

Her mom looked at him with soft eyes. “I’ve got time to listen if you have time to talk.”

“It’s okay. It’s all over, anyway.”

“You don’t look too happy about that,” she said softly.

He frowned. Wasn’t that the understatement of the year? “I just keep messing things up, you know? Hurting the people I love.” He let out a breath. “You. Dad. Emery…”

His mom’s face softened. “You love her,” she said. Not as a question but as a confirmation of the truth. She took his hand. “You look so sad. Please talk to me. Let me help.”

So he did. And it hurt, admitting to his mom who he adored what a mess he’d made. Admitting about his bad choices, about the pain he’d caused. The damn agreement he made with Trenton Montclair not to blast his relationship with Emery all over town.

And in consequence, losing the one woman that meant everything to him.

No, not losing. He pushed her. He pushed her so hard he wasn’t sure she’d ever stop running away from him.

And when he was talked out, his mom let out a long, soft sigh.

“You’ve got it all wrong,” she told him.

“You don’t have to protect me. That’s not your job.

It’s never been your job. I’m your parent.

It has always been my job to protect you.

” She shook her head, her eyes shining. “That day you saw me crying. You shouldn’t have seen that.

But as a mom I’ve smiled about you three boys a hundred times more than I’ve cried over you. ”

“I don’t want him to ruin the charity launch for you. Not after everything you’ve put into it,” Hendrix told her.

“I understand, sweetheart, I do. But he won’t. I’ll speak to our publicist. They’ll make sure it’s dealt with. That’s what publicists are for.” She leaned forward, cupping his face with her hands. “Please tell me you didn’t ruin this relationship to protect me?”

“For you and for her. He agreed to release the lien on her mom’s farm if I backed away.”

“And that’s what she wanted too?” his mom asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask her.”

His mom winced. “Oh, honey…”

“I didn’t want to put her in that position. It was for the best…” Or at least that’s what he kept telling himself.

His blood turned cold. He hadn’t even asked her. He hadn’t given her the chance to say what she thought.

He’d just made the decision for both of them. Decided to be a martyr, to lose the thing he loved most, because it was better than watching the woman he loved lose her home.

Fuck. He’d made a mistake. No, more than a mistake, he’d made the biggest fucking wrong decision of his life.

“Mom…”

“You need to go.” She nodded. “Of course you do.” She smiled at him softly. “Now you go and get your girl, and do whatever it takes to win her back.”

Well, here went nothing. Emery took a deep breath, and climbed out of her car, trying not to show her dismay at Trenton waiting for her in his parent’s driveway.

He’d wanted to pick her up, but she was done sitting in the passenger seat where that man was concerned. Today was about getting what she wanted and moving on.

Even if that meant moving on without Hendrix. That thought made her heart twinge.

“What’s that?” Trenton asked, a frown in his voice.

“What’s what?”

“That thing on your ankle.” He pointed at her tattoo. It had healed so well she’d almost forgotten it was there. And she certainly wasn’t planning on covering it up for him.

“None of your business,” she told him. “Do you have that form for me?”

“It’s here.” He lifted up a manilla envelope. “But I need you to sign something first.”

“You never mentioned anything about that.” She frowned, sensing a trap. Why did this man never make things easy?

“Yes, well, I’m just covering myself.” He pulled out a form. “It’s a simple NDA. You agree not to tell anybody about our arrangement this summer, and I’ll rescind my lien on your mom’s farm.”

She took the paper he was holding out. “You want me to keep quiet about when and why we actually split up?”

“Of course. Otherwise, what’s stopping you from dragging my name through the dirt as soon as you sell the farm? I have to protect my reputation in this time of social media. Reputation is everything in my business. So sign the paper and you get everything you want.”

“I wouldn’t drag your name through the dirt. I don’t want anything to do with you.” She glared at him. “I just want this to be over.”

“Then sign the NDA, Emery.” He gave her a supercilious smile.

“I’ll sign it after you’ve told your parents about us. Not before.” Because no, she wasn’t giving up her power to this man. Not anymore. She’d come too far to let him browbeat her again.

She’d worked too hard on herself this summer to let that happen. “Now, are we going inside or what?”

Looking furious, Trenton opened his mouth to answer her, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of an engine behind them.

No, not an engine. A bike. The kind of dirt bike that workers use to travel their farms and check on irrigations and errant goats and skinny dippers whose clothes were stolen.

And when she turned, her heart skipped a beat, because it was Hendrix, riding toward them like some kind of messed up knight in no armor, his jaw tight as he came to a stop at the end of Trenton’s parents’ driveway.

He kicked the stand out and climbed off his bike, striding toward her like he meant business.

It was only when he was a couple of yards away that she remembered she was mad at him.

No, furious.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him.

He stopped, his warm, soft eyes meeting hers. And yes, she felt that ache deep inside of her. The one that wouldn’t disappear, no matter how hard she tried to tell herself he was an asshole and she hated him.

“I’m here to beg you to forgive me.”

“Get out of here,” Trenton shouted at him. “This is private property.”

But Hendrix didn’t move. Didn’t stop looking at her.

She couldn’t stop looking at him, either.

She was confused. He’d made it so clear she wasn’t worth fighting for.

But now he was here. And he looked like he wanted to fight.

“Excuse me, did you hear me?” Trenton strode forward, his eyes flashing as he glared at Hendrix. “You need to leave. Before I call the cops.”

“Do what you have to do,” Hendrix murmured, still staring at Emery. “Please, can we talk?”

Her head said no. He’d hurt her so much. But her heart wasn’t listening. “Okay.”

He nodded. “I need you to know that I’m in love with you. I’ve been an idiot. I pushed you away because I thought I was being noble, but now I realize I was just protecting myself.”

“Noble?” she whispered. “How was pushing me away noble?”

Hendrix looked so vulnerable it touched her. She’d never seen him more attractive. Or been more confused.

“I went to see Trenton,” he told her. “After he caught us. I went to ask him to release the lien and let you go.”

She frowned. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?” She turned to look at Trenton. “Is this true?”

Trenton threw up his hands. “I’m done with this. She’s delusional. You both are.”

“It’s true,” Hendrix told her. “And he told me he’d only do it if I broke things off with you.” He lifted a brow. “He also added in a few threats about ruining your reputation and my mom’s charity by telling everybody you’d been cheating on him.”

“You threatened that?” She glared at Trenton.

“He’s lying.”

“I’m not, Em.” Hendrix stepped forward. He was only a couple of feet away now. “Why would I lie? I was the idiot for agreeing to it. I never should have. I should have come to you. I should have talked to you. I had this stupid idea that if I did it my way, I’d be protecting you.”

“You hurt me,” she told him.

“I know. I know that and I hate it.”

She let out a ragged breath, trying to process what he was telling her. He’d gone all the way to Charleston to try to save her mom’s farm sale. He’d agreed to end things so she could be free of the lien.

“I thought I was too much for you,” she whispered.

“You were never too much,” Hendrix told her. “You never could be. You’re everything.”

“Then why didn’t you say something to me?” she asked him.

“Because I’m an idiot. I should have talked to you, not made a decision without running it past you.

And if you can find it in yourself to forgive me, I promise you I’ll never ever do that again.

I’ll never take away your agency, Emery.

I’ll never assume that I know best. Because I think we both know that I don’t. ”

The way he said it made her heart tighten. He got it. He’d apologized. And no, it wasn’t going to make the past few days of heartache disappear. But it was a good start.

“I’ve had enough of this,” Trenton said, reaching for her arm. “We’re going inside, we’re telling my parents, and if you’re lucky and you sign the NDA, I’ll sign that fucking lien away.”

“What’s all the shouting about, son?” The front door opened to reveal Trenton’s dad standing there, his face bronzed from his long cruise, his white hair stained gold by the blaring rays of the hot summer sun. His wife joined him, frowning as she saw the three of them in her driveway.

“Mom, Dad, go inside,” he said.

Ignoring him, Emery smiled softly at Hendrix, then turned to walk up the steps to the Montclair’s front door.

“Hi, welcome home. Did you have a lovely cruise?” she asked them.

“Oh, yes.” Trenton’s mom nodded. “But what’s happening out here? Is everything okay?”

Emery’s stomach twisted as she looked at them both. She’d known them since she was a teenager. Yes, they weren’t always the closest, but she didn’t mean them any harm.

They hadn’t done her any, after all. Unlike their son.

“I’m glad you had a good time. I just wanted to come see you one last time. And to say thank you for all your kindness over the years,” she told them.

“What?” His dad frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Trenton and I broke up. Months ago. We agreed to tell you once you were back from your cruise, because we didn’t want to ruin your trip,” Emery told them, figuring it was better to rip the bandaid off rather than gently pull it.

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

“Our engagement is over, but we’re both okay, and that’s all that matters, right? ”

“Right…” Trenton’s dad said uncertainly, looking from her to his son.

“So I’ll leave you three to talk.” She took a step back, ignoring the dirty look that Trenton was shooting at her. “Oh, Trenton, don’t forget to give me that release.”

“What?” Trenton asked.

“Trenton has been very kind,” she told his parents, lying through her teeth. “He loaned my mom some money when she was at her lowest. She wants to pay him back, but he has to release the lien so she can sell the house to have the money.”

“Oh, that was very kind of you,” his mom told Trenton. She looked proud.

Yes, it was a gamble. She wasn’t certain he’d go through with it. But it was a risk worth taking. She knew enough about her ex to know he wouldn’t want to lose face in front of his parents.

For a second, Trenton said nothing. But then she could see it sinking in. He’d lost. She’d won. Just by staying true to herself. He pulled the legal form from the manilla envelope and passed it to her.

And there it was. Signed and dated and notarized. She felt almost sick with relief as she stared at it.

“Thank you,” she said softly. Trenton didn’t reply. But maybe she didn’t need him to. He was her past, and she was so ready to leave that behind.

It was time to face her future. Just as soon as she’d done one more thing.