Nigel waved her off. “No, darling, I’m fine.”

“Brynn, go get started on your homework and I’ll make you a snack.”

Once in the kitchen, Allie called Trevor. He answered on the first ring.

“Where in the bloody hell have you been?”

“Can Simmons come and pick up your dad?”

“What the … Where are you?”

“Home.”

“At your father’s house, then?”

“Yeah. Brynn got into a fight and is suspended.”

“Where does my father fit into this picture?”

“I was having lunch with him when I got the call from Brynn.”

She heard him take a deep breath. “Allison, listen to me. Those two nut jobs are not worth the effort.”

“What? You…break…up…send…Sim…” And she hung up. She didn’t want a lecture right now, she just wanted to make sure Brynn was okay until her father got home.

She threw together sandwiches for Brynn and Nigel, along with cookies and glasses of iced tea. She put everything on a tray and carried it to the living room. Nigel sat back, his legs crossed, engrossed in a talk show that had turned into a free-for-all with the audience members.

He hopped up when he saw her, took the tray, and set it down on the coffee table. He pointed to the screen. “Turns out, he’s not the father of her child after all. They just released the DNA results and all hell broke loose. You Americans.”

She reached over and flicked off the set. “What are you going to do about Mags? About Trevor?”

He took a long sip of iced tea and winced. “I don’t know, Als.”

“Do you love Mags, Nigel? Really love her?”

“I do. I desperately love her. But it’s too late. She’s already taken me back once. There’s not going to be a third act, love.”

She sat next to him and patted his knee. “Tell her you were wrong to want your ex at the wedding. Let Mags know she matters to you.”

He gazed at the carpet and back up at Allie. “Do you really think she’d take me back? You don’t know how long it took to win her affections for the second time. I could be well into the grave before she gives me another go.”

“It might help if you didn’t marry the first woman who flashes her boobs.”

“Well, quite.”

“Okay,” she said, slapping her knees and popping to her feet. “I’m going to see about Brynn.”

Nigel grabbed the sandwich with one hand and turned the TV back on with the other.

Allie took the tray to the girls’ room. With her hands full, she kicked the door gently with her foot. “Brynn, open up.”

Brynn opened the door and preceded Allie to the bed, tumbled onto it, and pulled a pillow over her face. “I hate my life.”

Allie set the tray on the bedside table and pulled the pillow off Brynn. “We all hate our lives at one point or another. But you’ll get through this, Brynnie.”

“What’s to hate about your life? It seems pretty perfect from where I’m sitting.”

The man Allie loved not only didn’t love her back, but he didn’t believe in the emotion, had been permanently scarred by his parents and ex-girlfriend. She hadn’t heard from Monica in weeks, and she wasn’t talking to her dad. Yeah, things were great.

“Nobody’s life is perfect. And you will get through this. What I want to know is”—she hopped on the bed next to Brynn, making the mattress bounce—“why you got in a fight in the first place.”

“Stupid Layla. She said that the only reason I got an A on my paper was because my dad was fuc…er, boinking Ms. Castor. I said my command of the English language probably helped, and that if she would come up for air, instead of blowing half the football team, maybe she would pass the class.”

Allie sat in shock, her eyes wide. “Brynn, you don’t talk like that.”

“Well, I won’t anymore. One time I mouth off, I get in trouble. Dad is going to kill me.”

“No, he’s not. He might ground you, but kill you? No, it’s too hard to hide a body.”

Brynn fell back on the bed and gave an almost laugh.

“So, you threw the first punch?” Allie asked.

“No, someone pushed me into Layla, and she thought I hit her, and well, you know the rest. The algebra teacher, Mrs. McCrady, saw me get physical first, so it was my fault. I tried to tell them what happened, but it didn’t do any good.”

Brynn picked up the pillow and held it over her face again. Allie closed her eyes and lay quietly next to her sister for a while. Finally, she rallied.

“Try and eat something, hon.” She climbed off the bed and made her way to the living room.

Trevor sat in the big easy chair, glaring at his father. Nigel untwisted an Oreo and licked the creamy center.

“These biscuits are delicious, Allison. We should get some of these at home, Son.”

Trevor’s face became a frozen mask. “I assume you mean your own home? Because you are not coming back to mine.”

“Trevor, can I talk to you in the kitchen, please?” Allie asked.

His cold, gray eyes shifted to her. “Oh, yes. You and I are going to talk, make no mistake about that.” He stood and swept past her to the kitchen.

Nigel winked at her. “Good luck, love. It’s best to nod and look earnest when he’s like this.”

Heart beating double time, Allie followed Trevor to the kitchen. He strode toward the sink, his back to her.

“I don’t like people fucking with my life, Allison.” His voice was completely calm and polite, but his back was tense.

She said nothing.

“I won’t tolerate it.” Slowly, he turned and gave her a cold smile. “Do we understand one another?”

Allie felt herself nodding.

“Good.” He started walking away, but Allie held up a hand.

“Wait, no I don’t understand. How am I fucking with your life?”

He stopped. “I finally got rid of the old man, and Mags was on her way out too, but you interfered. You stopped her from leaving. Don’t bother to deny it.” His voice was dripping with icy displeasure.

“I wasn’t going to. Yes, I talked Mags into staying. She thinks you hate her, Trevor. Is that how you want to leave things with your mom? I know she wasn’t perfect, but she loves you and she wants to make it up to you.”

He glared at her, like she was something disgusting. “I know you don’t understand, because you had a different set of circumstances with your parents, but stay out of it. I don’t care how she feels, and there is no making up for the past.”

“Nigel told me about Anna. I’m so sorry.”

“Why should you be sorry? It’s that wanker out there who should be sorry.”

She craned her head to gaze up at him. “He is, Trevor. He’s been trying to apologize, but he doesn’t know how.”

He stepped closer. “Mind your business, Miss Campbell. You have enough trouble with your own fucking family. Some things are better left in the past.”

She planted her palm on her forehead. “But can’t you see the past still affects you? You’re angry and you have a right to be, but maybe, if you give them a chance—”

“I’m done with this conversation.” He stalked to the back door but spun around to glare at her. “I suppose you think I’m damaged. You tell me you love me, and voilà, I’m a changed man.” He said something low and vicious under his breath and stepped toward her, clasped the back of her neck and pulled her close, until her breasts were pressed against his chest. “Well, I’m fine. I don’t need to change. And I don’t want your love. Keep it. Look at what it’s got you. You loved your family so goddamned much, you sold your body to me.”

“I think you’d better get the hell out of my house,” Brian Campbell said.

Allie wrenched out of Trevor’s grasp and glanced at her father, watched his face harden. Horror and shame filled her.

“Gladly.” Trevor exited the kitchen, brushing his arm against Brian’s shoulder.

Allie flinched when the front door slammed.

Chapter 22

Allie staggered to the kitchen table and collapsed into a chair. Burying her head in her hands, she fought back tears. She didn’t want to see the disappointment in her father’s eyes.