Page 122 of Always Love You More

“You’re alone in that house now,” she cuts me off in a whisper, like she’s not supposed to confess the way Carson and our father act. How even with them both still here, I might as well be all alone.

“I left you and now … and now …” A guttural sob tears from her, and I squeeze the phone. “He’s gone. How is he …?” She sucks in a breath. “This doesn’t seem real.”

“I know,” I whisper. Not sure what else to say. How to make her feel better.

Because there is no feeling better with something like this.

“Is Adam home?” I ask, not wanting her to be all alone.

“Yeah,” she answers, her voice dazed. “He’s, um … he’s in the shower.”

“Okay, good,” I say, relieved that she has someone there with her.

“I think I just … Do you mind if I go now? Would that be all right?”

“Yeah,” I tell her. “Yeah, of course.”

“I love you,” she says before the call ends.

Jameson rubs small circles against my back until I’ve stopped crying. I wipe away the lingering tears with the palm of my hand, turning to look over at him.

“Baby, I’m—”

Billy walks back into the room, his expression cutting off Jameson’s words. I watch as he tries to mask the worry on his face, but it’s too late.

The bed dips as Jameson pushes off of it, moving to stand. “What is it?”

Billy shakes his head. “Nothing.”

“Don’t bullshit me.” Jameson takes a step forward. “Not now.”

“She’s, ah …” Billy rubs the back of his neck. “She’s being difficult.”

Jameson’s jaw works before he nods, like he knows exactly what Billy means when he saysdifficult.

“But my dad’s got it handled,” Billy pushes. “You don’t need to—”

“Yeah,” Jameson sighs, “I do.”

He shifts to me. “Are you gonna be all right if I go home for a bit?”

“I’ll be fine,” I tell him. “I should probably go check in downstairs, anyway.”

He lowers himself in front of the bed so he’s eye level with me. “Are you sure?”

I nod. “I’m sure. Go do what you need to do.”

“I’ll have my phone on me, so if you need me, call. All right?”

“I can stay with you,” Billy says. “So you have someone here.”

I turn to him. “I’m okay, really. You should go with Jameson.”

A look of understanding flickers across his face as Billy acknowledges what I’m really saying—Look out for him.

“Okay,” Billy agrees. “But same thing, you need us, you call.”

“I will,” I assure them.