meet Kacey for another twenty minutes. “Karson will get over it. I know you’re worried about that.”
He was, but he was more worried that Kacey wouldn’t show up. Then all the trouble he’d caused in his friendship with Karson would just be extra shit on top of the shit sandwich he’d have once he accepted she didn’t want him. But deep down in his soul, he knew she’d show up. She had to. If anything, just out of curiosity. For answers. For closure. But he wouldn’t let her go without a fight.
“How long you think he’ll stay mad?” Jordie asked with a sullen look. “I fucked up pretty bad. Kacey is his baby sister and your baby… I’m surprised you aren’t trying to swing at me.”
Karl chuckled. “Between Karson and Regina, I think you got a beating. Plus, I know Kacey, she can handle her own. If she wanted to hurt you, she’d hurt you. She don’t like me picking up the pieces of her heart. It embarrasses her. She’s a prideful woman, that daughter of mine.”
“That’s the damn truth,” Jordie agreed. “That’s why I’m worried she won’t give me another chance.”
Karl nodded. “She probably won’t,” he said, which had Jordie gawking at him. “So you work for her love. You show her who you are and pray that she’ll give you another chance.”
Jordie nodded as he looked to the left, fishing his keys out of his pocket. “I gotta go meet said prideful woman at the Mexican restaurant down the road, hand her my balls on a silver platter, and own up to my mistakes. Here are my keys. If she doesn’t show, I’ll take a cab home. Or if she tells me to kiss it, I’ll take one home.”
Karl laughed, slapping his shoulder. “I’ll go with you. If she shows, I’ll leave. If she doesn’t, we’ll eat and... Shit, I was about to say drink margaritas.”
Jordie laughed along with him. “Yeah, that can’t happen.”
“How depressing. Way to go, ruining the fun for everyone,” he said with a wink and Jordie grinned.
“You didn’t know? I’m a fuckup,” Jordie joked but Karl paused, shaking his head.
“No, Jordie, you’re not. Not anymore,” he said, squeezing his shoulder. “You’re a damn good man with a past that you’re working on. Now, come on.”
As he walked away, Jordie stood there and let his words sink in. He was right. He wasn’t a fuckup anymore. His past was full of all his mistakes, but he was fixing each one. But this one… The one that he made with Kacey was the biggest and the one he most regretted.
But he would fix it.
Why was she the only normal one in her family?
The whole way to Liam’s house, she replayed everything that happened and really didn’t understand how it had even occurred. She and Lacey were usually careful when they talked about Jordie, but apparently they weren’t careful enough. She still couldn’t believe that Karson hit Jordie repeatedly like that. He was a big doofus, but a sweet doofus, and, God, she loved him. But she still couldn’t believe it. Did Jordie deserve that? Oh, yeah. But did she like seeing him bleeding? No. Each drop of blood might as well have been hers. It was horrifying to see and all just so stupid.
But even with everything that had happened, all she could do was think about what Lacey had said to Karson as she tried to stop him. About forgiving Jordie and only caring about what he did after. After what? What was going on, and why did she seem to be the only one who was lost? Even her parents seemed to know what was going on. They were all nodding in agreement, and Jordie, he just looked stricken. She could tell that he hadn’t intended to hurt her or Karson. Before, he would have laughed it off. But when he said sorry, he meant it.
More so when he said she was enough.
Ugh, she could still feel his words absorbing into her skin. She had waited so long to hear him say it, to give some kind of explanation, and she was almost there.
But first, she had to break it off with Liam.
Parking her car near his, she shut it off and headed toward his door, trying to think of a nice and easy way to turn him down. She couldn’t think of anything but the truth. Before she could think harder, he opened the door.
“Hey!” he called out before glancing at his watch.