She sniffs against my chest and I rub her back for comfort. "I knew, Travis. Barry and I don't look anything alike really. I mean, I guess I believed he was my dad because that's what I was told. He was always so nice to me."

"This doesn't change who you are."

"I'm the result of my mother's rape. Jesus, no wonder she f.u.c.king hated me."

"I love you," I tell her, running my hand over her head, trying to offer rea.s.surance.

Sitting up, she wipes her eyes and turns to look at me. "I really want to go home."

"We can do spa day another time, Lace," Sarah tells her, situating herself on the edge of the couch. Sarah hands her a bottle of water and watches to ensure Lacey takes a drink.

"Thanks," Lacey returns, accepting the drink. "We'll go later this week."

Sarah stews for a second. I watch as she bites the inside of her lip, but I'm waiting for her to say what's on her mind. Then she does.

"Your mom's a c.u.n.t," she starts. Lacey and I turn to look at her as she keeps talking. "I mean, seriously. Who the f.u.c.k keeps something like that a secret from their kids?"

"I feel sorry for her," Lacey answers. "It makes me sad to know a person's soul is so dark that they are able to keep something like that in for so long."

"c.u.n.t," Sarah utters again.

I move my hand to Sarah's knee to keep it from bouncing. "We get it, Sarah. You hate her."

Sarah shrugs, looks to Lacey and replies, "Hate c.u.n.ts, yeah."

This causes Lacey to grin a little, which I'm thankful for-c.u.n.t talk or not.

"Lacey." I get her attention. "Hayden's on his way. Is there anything you want to talk about before he gets here?"

Now sitting up, Lacey shakes her head.

"Need a foot rub?" Sarah asks my sister with a smirk. Again I see a small smile trace Lacey's face and I'm thankful for that one, too.

"Travis rubs your feet?" Lacey asks in surprise.

"Yep. He's okay at it. It's not great but it gets the job done, I guess."

Now Lacey releases a small laugh and turns to me. Her eyes are br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears and her face is still full of them, but I see a small light in her smile. "You really rub her feet?"

"Sometimes," I answer casually. Mentally, though, I'm committing to never doing it again.

"This has been a G.o.d d.a.m.n day of revelations," Lacey tells Sarah.

Sarah agrees. "f.u.c.k yeah, it has."

"I hate your mouth," I say to them both.

"You've mentioned that," Sarah returns, taking another drink, but her eyes never leave mine.

Sarah gets up to check the parking lot outside my front window. I can tell she's anxious for Lacey to leave. After a few minutes she informs us, "Hayden's here. I told him you didn't feel good. I didn't want him worrying all the way over."

Lacey wipes her eyes, stands, and walks to Sarah to hug her tight. "I don't think there's anyone else I would've wanted with me during this mess."

Sarah looks puzzled. "I didn't do anything."

"You did everything. The c.u.n.t decree included."

Sarah smiles and looks back at me before telling Lacey, "Go home and be with your superhot man. Call me later."

Hayden enters the apartment and the second Lacey's eyes move to his, she completely falls apart.

"I'm not having kids," Sarah tells me as I finish rubbing her G.o.d d.a.m.n feet while the credits of Snapped start to scroll the screen.

"You're not?"

"Nah. Parents f.u.c.k 'em up. I don't want to do that to an innocent kid."

Before Lacey and Hayden left we all filled Hayden in on what happened. Understandably he was upset he hadn't been here when the news came pouring out like acid, destroying everything it touched. He was p.i.s.sed with me briefly, until Sarah informed him I had tried to get them to leave before Cheryl showed up.

"Do you feel better?" Sarah asks, looking at me from her p.r.o.ne position on the couch.

I take another pull from my beer before I answer. "Yes and no. I hate that's how s.h.i.t went down, but I'm hoping now that I know, I'll never have to think about it again."

"I'm really sorry, Travis."

"I'm okay."

"I'm not sorry Lacey and I were here."

"Didn't figure you would be."

"I still want to kill your mother."

"I know."

"She's a c.u.n.t."

"You said that."

"I hate her."

"You said that, too. Can we stop talking about her?"

"Sure." She shrugs and turns her focus to the television.

I stew for a few minutes, my grip getting tighter on her foot. She winces and starts to pull it back, but I stop her and turn to give her what's on my mind. "You said Hayden was hot."

"What?" she asks in surprise.

"You told Lacey to go be with her 'superhot man.' I didn't love that."

Her smile starts slowly, but grows, adding to my irritation. "Are you jealous?"

"Nope."

Maybe a little.

"Hayden is hot," she repeats. "Like, uh, super-f.u.c.king-hot."

"Sarah," I warn, narrowing my eyes, but continue to avoid looking at her.

"Have you seen him lately?" she ribs. I know what she's doing, but it p.i.s.ses me off. "Guys even crush on Hayden Flynn, for f.u.c.k's sake, Travis. Don't tell me you haven't thought-"

Moving quickly, I grab both her ankles and drag her to me. I blanket her body with mine and hold her arms over her head. "Shut up."

"So, you're jealous. Who cares?"

"You used to follow him around like a puppy, Sarah. Now you're telling me you still think he's hot."

"He's married to your sister. I hardly think I have a shot."

Now she's p.i.s.sing me off. "You want a shot with him?" I ask, feeling my face get warm.

"Do you think he'd give me one? Maybe he'd entertain having us both for an evening. He used to be into that, ya know."

"If you're serious, things are about to go in a very different f.u.c.kin' direction tonight."

She smiles, trying to free her arms from my hold. "We're even."

"Even?"

"You p.i.s.sed me off the night I came home and you led me to believe Ellie was here for different reasons. I haven't said a word about it until now."

I don't like this game. Neither will she. "Rae's f.u.c.king hot," I snap, pushing myself off her and sitting back where I was before.

Her mouth hangs open and she's speechless.

"Superhot. She has a nice body and a beautiful smile," I add.

Sitting up in place, I see her mind working. She gets angrier and angrier with each second that pa.s.ses. "That's not the same!"

"The f.u.c.k it isn't," I claim.

Grabbing the remote in my hand, I start to flip the channels. I'm acting casual, and Sarah is anything but casual, no matter the circ.u.mstances.

"We're so not even anymore," she mumbles.

"Sure we are," I tell her.

With a defeated posture and tone, Sarah stands, walks around me, and heads to the hall. "We aren't, but we will be."

Looking back at her, I watch as she undresses outside our bedroom door. "I'm sleeping without clothes. Until you apologize, no touching."

"You'll beg for it," I say, shutting my eyes and turning around, still trying to play casual.

"Too bad. All you have to do is apologize and I'd suck your d.i.c.k and let you come all over my a.s.s this time."

Hearing her cra.s.s language, I throw the remote down. She yelps as she darts to the room and shuts the door.

As if that, or anything else going forward, will keep me from her again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT.

Early July. . . .

Travis "I'M NEVER GETTING married," Sarah claims as she continues hanging streamers throughout the living room at Hayden's dad's beach house.

"Don't say that. You will," Lacey corrects her.

"Maybe. If I do it'll be a quick one then. This is too f.u.c.king much."

I'm standing in the kitchen listening to these chickens talk about the stupidest s.h.i.t they can think of. We've spent four days decorating this place in a rush because Cathy and Brian have insisted they'd rather get married in early July versus late September.

Brian doesn't do anything quick or small. Now, add the fact that he's absolutely in love with Cathy and would give her anything she'd ever ask for, and we're all rushing around like lunatics trying to make it happen.

I hear Rae ask, "Are we all staying here tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, think so," Lacey tells her. "Hayden wants to drink and Bean's old neighbor Mary is watching all the kids. Her daughter's in from out of town and she said she's not big into weddings, so she asked Hayden if it would be okay to take them all. Hayden, Toby, and Ace all said yes, but I guarantee Hayden will pick Liv up by midnight."

Lacey's right. Hayden won't be able to stay away from Olivia overnight for any reason.

"I haven't felt good the past month or so. I'm not sure if it's because of my mother or not, but I haven't felt the same since."

"c.u.n.t," I hear Sarah utter and the others laugh.

I smile.

Ace comes around the corner and I put my finger to my mouth, telling him not to talk. He moves to stand beside me and grabs my second beer that was sitting on the counter waiting for me to drink it.

"Decklan asked if me if he could call Ace 'Dad.'"