Season of Change(115)

                “Life doesn’t hand out second chances just for them to be squandered,” Emma said. Seeing as how she’d been in a car accident that almost killed Will’s sister and had come away unscathed, Slade couldn’t argue with her, much as he wanted to.

                “You shared an apartment with us for five years and never said a word.” Flynn sounded betrayed. “I gave you grief over those ties and...I would have understood if you had said something.”

                And sabotage their tentative relationship? Not likely. “It didn’t concern you.”

                “It concerns me now.” Flynn clenched his fists, pounding them on his thighs. “The way you let Evy walk all over you. The way you forced the twins to walk away. Your determination to sell and walk out of our lives. Yeah, it concerns me.”

                “And what was I supposed to do? You saw what happened when I opened the door upstairs. I couldn’t go into the room. I haven’t gotten past it.” Slade dragged a hand over his face, watching Christine watch him. “Evy’s right. They’re safer with her.”

                “It’s not a question of their safety.” Becca placed a comforting hand on her husband’s fist. “None of us here believe they’d ever be in danger with you. But those girls love you. And your ex-wife has suppressed that love for years. If you let them go now, she’ll make sure you never get another chance with them.”

                “You don’t understand.”

                “We do.” Christine spoke, her voice as rusty and broken as the trust she’d placed in him. “We understand you’re scared. The great and mighty Slade Jennings, who can stand up to conglomerates and legal teams and bargain for what he wants. The man who can meet any goal he sets. You’re too scared to face this.”

                She stood and went upstairs.

                A door opened.

                He was afraid he knew which door.

                “Whether you want to admit it to yourself or not, you’ve got some form of PTSD.” Nate would know, being former military. “You hide it well. But hiding it means you’ll never rid yourself of it. It’s got a firm spot in your chest.”

                Christine came back downstairs. She was barefoot. Why hadn’t he noticed that before? Had her shoes dropped on the driveway when he’d carried her across?

                She didn’t stop or say good-night. She just walked out.

                Whatever it was inside Slade that had kept him going this long deflated. He slumped farther into his father’s chair.

                Flynn got up, tugging Becca with him. They went upstairs. After a few minutes, they came back down and left. Flynn didn’t have his baseball cap on.

                Will and Emma went next. A pilgrimage up the stairs, a few steps into the room, and then back down.

                Nate pointed a finger at him. “Stay.” And then he, too, went up. This time a door closed before he returned.

                “I haven’t known you a long time, man, but I like you.” Nate stood in the foyer.

                Nate was perfect for Christine. Honest, steadfast.

                “You don’t need any of us here holding your hand. Only you can get yourself out of this. Just know we’ve got your back.” And then Nate left.

                Leaving Slade alone in a house that was quieter than he wanted it to be.