Page 87 of Threads That Bind Us

Guilt slices at my chest, but I try to keep my face neutral.

“Please tell us next time you suspect someone's following you,” Charlie asks, and she glares at him.

“Please tell me next time you decide to get in some weird arranged marriage with my sister so she can afford my cancer treatments, how about that?” she yells, throwing her hands up in the air. “Do you realize how ridiculous this all sounds? I’m going to Gray’s and I’m only communicating with you two via his mom until further notice.”

Ana makes her way to the bus stop, and I double check her location is still on while Charlie calls Lily and gives her instructions.

“What exactly was your goal here, mom?” I ask, exhaustion taking over my body as I turn to Isabelle.

The urge to kill her for hurting Ana fades as I see the pain in her eyes. She’s hurt that Ana walked away. Charlie slides closer to me, and I feel just a little more calm.

“I was worried about my daughters!” my mother exclaims, just a little too over the top to be honest. “Ben got a hold of me in Marseille and told me about your little stunt.”

“Jesus Christ, you don’t actually believe him, do you?” I implore, begging her to see. But Isabelle just raises hereyebrows impatiently. “When Ana got sick, I came to Ben and asked for the money to help his daughter. Because he’s her father, and that’s what he should do. And he said he’d give me the money if I was his mistress. Said something about wanting to test out the newest model.”

The words hit Isabelle like a slap across the face. She only allows herself to be stunned for a moment, pushing her hair out of her face and rearranging her features into something like disdain.

“You’re lying. You’re covering so your new meal ticket won’t turn on you.” She sounds like she truly believes it, too.

I turn my head up and catch Charlie’s gaze, and it’s a balm to the ache in my chest that there’s no distrust or fear in his eyes. He knows Isabelle, or Ben, is lying.

“Is Ben still married? Because he was four months ago.” Isabelle flinches again, and I soften my tone a bit. “I know there was a time when all you wanted was for us to have everything. That you were trying to provide for us. And I’m sorry for being angry at you for that. I understand better now the lengths you’ll go for someone you love.” I take a deep breath and reach for my mom’s hand. “But at some point, your priorities changed. And I’ll never apologize for getting Ana out of that environment.”

Isabelle only huffs more, snapping her hand to her chest. And I’m not angry, not for her inability to understand. Just for the way she hurt us in the process.

“I’m going to call Linda and let her know what’s headed her way,” I say to Charlie before tugging him down so I can whisper in his ear. “Please don’t kill her. I have a plan.”

He kisses me softly, and even though my heart is in shreds, I know he’ll figure out how to piece it back together.

Chapter 30

Charlie

Ana’s standing at the top of the McCallums’ staircase, arms crossed over her chest and hip leaning against the banister. Gray’s right behind her, his face equally annoyed. I’m pretending I’m not hiding in the kitchen with Linda and Paul, Maddie sitting on the edge of the island clinging to her dad’s arm.

“I’m still pissed,” Ana calls down to her sister, who’s standing at the bottom of the stairs.

We let her cool off over the weekend, take some needed space, but she can’t live at the McCallum’s forever, however much she might want to right now.

“Swear jar!” Maddie yells, kicking her feet happily.

Paul shushes her, trying to avoid pulling Ana’s attention to us. Or really, to me. Gray’s parents are still in Ana’s good graces.

“You’re allowed to be pissed,” Gwen sighs. “Just be pissed off at home.”

Gray wraps his arm around Ana’s shoulder, protective like a brother.

“Ana’s welcome to stay here as long as she wants, right mom?” he declares.

Linda cringes.

“I’m not getting involved,” she calls, and Gray scoffs, whispering in Ana’s ear.

“Look, absolutely nothing is changing. Charlie and I are still married; we’re staying in the same home. You deserve an explanation, but you have to trust us that nothing has changed.”

Ana glares at Gwen for a few moments before turning on her heel and marching into Gray’s room, the sound of packing echoing down the hall. Linda and Paul both breathe out a sigh of relief.

“Sorry about this,” Gwen mutters, joining us in the kitchen and moving directly in front of Maddie.