any easier, knowing he cheated with someone who was supposed to be my friend.”
I shake my head. “It's their loss. Both of them.”
Her bottom lip starts to tremble. “I'm not even that upset about Kellan. He can go fuck himself for all I care. But Skye? I never expected this from her.” A dry laugh bubbles out of her mouth. “And I was stupid enough to leave them alone together on the drive down here.”
“Hey.” I grab her chin and turn her to face me. “You aren't stupid. You trusted them, and they betrayed that trust. That's on them, not you.”
The second her eyes narrow on mine, I can practically see all the questions she must be thinking. The most obvious one echoes out.
“How long did you know?”
Fuck. “I saw them together at a party before I met you, but I didn't know you two were together. I connected the dots when he came over for dinner.”
She winces, as if the answer pains her. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“Would you have believed me? Kellan made sure to plant all sorts of lies in your head the second he saw me at the house. If I tried telling you he was cheating, you would have told me I was pathetic and kicked me out of your room.”
“I would not,” she argues, but I just give her a knowing look. “Okay, fine. You're probably right, but you're still a dick.”
I chuckle softly. “Tell me something I don't know.”
It may be tense, and not exactly how I'd prefer to be spending any time I have alone with her, but having Lennon's attention again feels like coming up for air. The two of us stare out into the darkness, watching the ocean kiss the shore time and time again, until she breaks the silence.
“Okay, one more question.”
“You're rather inquisitive tonight, aren't you?”
She turns her head and looks up at me. “Why do you want my dad and your mom to split up so badly?”
A heavy feeling sits on my chest, but I know she deserves the answer. “My parents were happily married, up until a few weeks ago—or at least I thought they were. My mom was having an affair with your father, and she finally decided to leave my dad for him.”
“Oh, my God. Did my dad know she was married?”
I shrug. “I have no idea, but my dad had no idea there was anything wrong until she told him she met someone else and was leaving him. I've seen how much divorced parents can fuck up a kid...”
“And you're worried about Molly,” she finishes for me.
Nodding, I finally allow my gaze to meet hers again. “I just want what's best for her. That little girl may be a pain in my ass sometimes, but she's the closest family I have.”
Lennon looks like she's battling an internal debate before she comes to a resolution and exhales. “Okay, then, I'll help you.”
“What?”
She giggles. “If getting between them so you can get your family back together is still what you want, I'll help you.”
I open my mouth to speak, but she stops me with a finger on my lips. It takes every ounce of restraint I have not to pull the digit into my mouth.
“But I want you to think on it first, because even if we break them up, there's no guarantee she'll agree to get back with your dad just because she doesn't have mine anymore.”
Relief washes over me, and I feel like I finally have someone on board. Someone who might make this easier than I thought. Someone who could get me what I want, or at least part of what I want.
“Deal,” I tell her, and pull her in for a hug.
The top of her head comes up to just below my chin, and I subtly burrow my face into her hair—inhaling the smell of it and wishing I could do this every day. But I can't, or at least can't for now. First, I need to do what's best for Molly, and that's mending our broken family.
AFTER SIX HOURS OF driving and having to listen to Bryce and Jayden grill me for half of it, I finally pull into the driveway. The only thing I want to do is fall face first on my bed and sleep for the next day and a half. Lennon and I ended up staying awake until five in the morning, talking about random topics and just enjoying getting along for once. By the time