No. He can’t mean that. Can’t mean that we’re really over. He just needs to see that girl for who she really is. A manipulative bitch who’s moving in on my—
He slammed the heavy door, the sound so loud to his ears that it drowned out the rest of what Camille said. Now to fix the damage done with Isleen. He turned to see Row leaning against the kitchen island giving him her most disapproving, disappointed look. The look that made him feel like he was five years old and had gotten caught stealing a candy bar from RaeBeck’s Grocery.
“What?”
You know what. Row’s expression didn’t change. She was one of the few people who knew he heard on the frequency of thought. She knew how much it hurt him, too. So for her to be actually communicating with him like that, even she could see the changes Isleen brought into his life.
“I wasn’t serious with her.”
Row’s right eyebrow rose just slightly.
“I wasn’t.”
You were fornicating with her.
“Jesus. When you put it that way, it sounds so dirty. I knew she wanted more from me, but I never delivered. Never gave her false promises. Never—” He stopped talking. Row’s silence, both internal and external, didn’t bode well for him. The one bright spot was that at least he was too big for a spanking. And he could outrun her if she tried to take a switch to him. Though if he was being truthful with himself, Row’s disappointment in him stung worse than any switchin’ he’d ever gotten.
“Okay, I made some bad decisions regarding Camille. But I’m trying to fix that now. And it looks like she’s going to be”—he searched for the right word—“persistent.”
Row rolled her eyes. “I want to know what you’re going to do about Isleen. You hurt her by not informing her you had a girlfriend and by the display you two made.” Xander opened his mouth to say it wasn’t his fault, but Row shot him with the shut-up-and-listen look. “And Isleen’s already had a rough morning.”
“What happened to her forehead?”
“I’m not talking about that—though she says she bent down to pick up her towel and thunked her head against the bathroom sink. What I’m talking about is your father. He verbally attacked her. Blamed Isleen for Gale’s physical and mental state. Demanded answers. He really upset Isleen. And then, all this shit with Camille happened.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. Now, go and fix this.” Row flicked her thumb in the direction Kent and Isleen had left the house.
Xander was at the kitchen door before he’d even told himself to move. Hand on the door handle, he paused.
Isleen sat on the porch swing overlooking the ravine. Kent’s mini-mutt was curled up sleeping peacefully on her lap, while Kent held both her hands in his—a comforting gesture that no one should be offering Isleen except for Xander.
He eavesdropped through the finale of their conversation—just another reason he was an asshole—then held the door open for her when she approached.
“Are you all right?” he asked as she walked into the house. He heard her heart thudding, her breath rushing in and out of her lungs. He settled his hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?” It was a stupid question, but the only one that his vocals produced.
She whirled on him, shrugging his hand off. “You’re asking me what’s wrong?” Her chin trembled and so did his heart. “The easier question is, what’s right? Nothing. Right now, nothing. And don’t touch me. You want to touch someone? Go touch your girlfriend.” She walked away from him.
He watched her until he realized she was heading toward the front door. Toward Camille. “Isleen, wait.”
“I don’t want you near me, so just stay away.”
He didn’t move toward her, wouldn’t force her to be around him—not after everything she’d been through. “Camille’s out there,” he warned her.
“Good. We need to talk.” She dragged open the heavy door and left him standing there with his regret and self-loathing.
“She’s not happy with you.” Kent said from behind him, not even bothering to conceal his amusement. I’m glad she sees you for who you really are, even if my sister can’t.
It would be so satisfying to serve the guy a fist of five, but priorities were priorities. “Check out a guy named William Goodspeed. He should be arriving at Sunny County Children’s Services today for a supervised visit with his son. He’ll have a gun with him. And if someone doesn’t stop him, he’ll kill his caseworker, his wife, and his son.”
*
Isleen shut the front door behind her. Before she could even take a breath, let alone a step, Camille invaded the bubble of her space, staring down at her with red-rimmed eyes.
Isleen understood pain and didn’t want to hurt this woman anymore. “Are you okay?”
“Have you slept with him?” Hatred sharpened the woman’s words.
“Yes.” It didn’t occur to Isleen to lie, when maybe she should have. Where was her self-preservation?