Home For The Holidays - Jordan Silver Page 0,23

One, dad would’ve killed that kid, and two, I wanted to handle that ass myself, and I did. His black eye had lasted a good week and a half.

I’d filled dad in after the fact, and his hands were then tied since I’d already exacted vengeance. He’d still had words with the neighbor, and I still don’t know to this day if that had anything to do with their hasty relocation a few weeks later but whatever.

He was boring holes into my head with that stare of his now. “All in due time, dad, I promise.

“Tell me, does it have anything to do with knocking some sense into your brother? I’ve given him ample time to get his act together; I thought for sure by now he’d have got his head out of his ass, but I was wrong.”

This is the first time dad has voiced his true feelings on the subject out loud, and the look of disgust on his face was even more evidence of how he really felt. “Why haven’t you knocked his block off yet if you feel this way?”

“Because he’s an adult, and I raised him better. Still not going to tell me the truth about what happened back there?”

“What? You don’t believe Tom’s version of events?” Dad rubbed his nape the way he always does when he’s frustrated. It’s times like this when I remember that Tessa’s lies and betrayal hadn’t hurt only Deidre and the twins, but my whole family as well. I’m with dad though it was way past time for my once sensible brother to have come to his senses.

Unless Jared has a point and the fact that Tom had loved his wife deeply, and this is the reason for his long lapse in judgment, according to Jared, the deeper the wound, the longer it takes to heal. I’m all for that and would’ve given my brother some slack for that if the truth hadn’t been staring him in the face all this time.

I’m not one hundred percent sure what else that viper said to make him walk away from his family, but knowing Tessa and the way she operates, I can only imagine. Still, like dad said, Tom had been raised with more sense than what he’s portraying now, and I can’t imagine what could’ve been said to make him act the way he has been, especially towards his girls. I’m almost certain he thinks that they’re not his, but how could that be?

Dad and I exchanged small talk for a hot minute before I made my escape and headed upstairs. It was almost time for Jared’s call, and I wanted to be alone in the warm comfort of my room when I hear his voice. I still get giddy at the sound of his voice still have butterflies just from the thought of him. I wonder how long before they disappear, even as I hope they never do.

No sooner had I hit the bed than my mind traveled back in time once more. I guess it’s because things are coming to a head that my head is so filled with thoughts and memories of the last few months. Sometimes it feels as if only days had passed until I look at all we’ve done together in the time we’ve known each other.

After our first lunch, where I got a first-hand taste of what I’d be missing if I said no to his presumptuous proposal, I headed back to the dorm, not quite steady on my feet. His kisses were another kind of hell in the sense that I missed them as soon as he was out of my sight, something else my body didn’t seem to like.

When he’d put me in the back of his chauffeur-driven luxury SUV hours later, I was still in a daze. I’d had a hell of a time remembering why it was that I’d gone to him in the first place. I did recall, though, that in-between kisses, he’d reassured me that he’d be glad to help.

By the time I entered my dorm room, I was almost back to normal and realizing I’d gotten nothing done because I’d been too busy swallowing his tongue. There was a lot to unpack from that one meeting, and me, being in my first blush of love, had been way out of my element. I couldn’t talk to anyone about him, one of the things we’d agreed on while he had me sitting on his lap, which by