Blake snaps his eyes to Jax and holds his hands up. “I’m chill. I’m good.” He backs up a little and scrubs his face. “She might not have come here looking for family, but that’s what she fucking got. She didn’t know me, didn’t know us. She tried to use a situation to her advantage and fuck any of you if you say you’ve never done that. Maybe she came here looking for fame, but she found a hell of a lot more. She isn’t using any of us. Maybe it was her intention, but that shit changed. She changed.” He looks at me and crosses his arms. “What did she say when you talked to her?”
I look around at them all and shrug. “She didn’t say anything. She cried and stayed quiet.”
“And then what?” Blake asks.
Kallie stands up and moves to Jax’s side. “Braden, did you even let her explain?” she asks.
They are all staring at me and I feel ganged up on. I stand up, shaking my head. “Her fucking silence was all I needed to hear. She lied. She had plenty of time to tell us, to tell me, but she didn’t. She stuck with her story.”
“Look, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be upset. She lied, but don’t you think maybe Blake is right? Maybe once she was here things changed and she did want family. I never got the vibe from her that she was using any of us,” Jax says, lifting his shoulders.
Kallie looks between me and Blake. “When she first got here, she did seem more interested in the modeling aspect of things. I thought she was just curious about it all. But I’ve worked with her a lot over the last few months and obviously, she’s grateful for the opportunities, but all she ever does is talk about all of us, especially Braden. I saw the sincerity in her eyes. I know you have trust issues because of Sarah, but do you think maybe you let that get the best of you with McKinley?”
I grab the back of my neck looking at them all. “Seriously?”
“You didn’t even give her a chance to explain,” Blake says.
“Braden, you and I are similar with the trust of people. It took me a long time to trust Blake and his intentions. I’m not telling you how to feel or how to react, that is unstoppable. What I’m saying is everyone should be given a chance to tell their story. Hear her story. It might not have the ending that you are expecting it to have. A lot of people give up a few chapters in because they don’t think it will turn out good. When that happens, you don’t get the full story. You need to finish the story to see how it all ends,” London says.
“Damn, that was good,” Blake says, kissing her cheek.
I blow out a breath and sit down, resting my face in my hands. I don’t know what the hell to do. I understand what they are all saying, but I’m fucking hurt. I think I deserve a minute to lick my wounds.
“You’ve had an emotional day between winning custody of the girls and McKinley. Go home, get some sleep, and start over tomorrow. We just want what’s best for you and McKinley brought that happiness out in you. Go talk to her in the morning and take it from there,” Kallie says, resting her hand on my shoulder.
I don’t argue. I hug them all and leave. She’s right. This has been the longest, most emotional day I’ve ever had. A hot shower and comfortable bed might help.
I wake up, reaching over for McKinley. Realization crashes around me and I open my eyes. The empty spot in the bed that she usually fills, stares back at me. I sit up and look down at my knuckles. They’re a little swollen and cut up, but they feel better. I wish I could say the same for my heart.
Everything they said last night made sense. I may have let my emotions get the best of me. I need to go talk to her this morning and hear her story.
After I get dressed, I call my mom to check on the girls. Listening to them excited in the background brings a smile to my face. I will never need to miss the sound again. She tells me she’s taking them shopping with Kallie and I smile. I’ve got almost everyone I love back.
The drove over to McKinley’s seems to take longer than ever before. My brows dip when I see her car isn’t there. I get out and knock on the door, but when there is no answer, I try the handle. It opens and I step inside.
“McKinley?”
I stop short when I realize all her things are gone. I rush to the bedroom and tear open the closet, finding it open. The drawers are empty, everything is empty. She’s gone.
I don’t know if she left because she was caught in a lie or because I pushed her away. I sit down on the bed, shaking my head.
Everything in this house is empty, including me.
Chapter 21
McKinley
I crack my eyes open and the light coming in through the dirty window on this beat-up trailer, shines through. Coming back here, to the place that treated me like a failure, makes me feel just that. I failed. The look on Braden’s face said it all. It doesn’t matter that everything changed once I got to know them. They will never look at me the same again. They’ll see me as the girl who rode into town and took advantage of their generosity.
Leaving was the only option I had and since I failed it was only right, I ended up where I started. The last few months have been the happiest of my life. It had nothing to do with modeling and everything to do with the amazing people I was surrounded by. The
