Stranded(64)

Jack must have hit the nail on the head because the next thing she knew, Steven slammed his fist into Jack’s mouth. “You shut your filthy mouth, you fucking fa—”

“Don’t!” India interrupted. There had already been too much ugliness spouted in this room already. She couldn’t stand to hear another word of it. “Just go, Steven.”

Steven looked like he wanted to administer another blow to Jack, who was laid out on the floor, nursing a busted lip, chuckling at the havoc he’d wreaked.

“India, he’s lying.” Steven gave her an imploring look.

She shook her head. “Somehow I doubt that.”

With a muttered curse under his breath, Steven stormed out the room, not bothering to look back.

India looked at her parents, who seemed to have had the wind knocked out of them. She already knew their views on homosexuality. They thought it was disgusting, and they had never bitten their tongues about it either. Finding out their favorite child was one of “those” probably devastated them. Yet India didn’t feel a bit of pity for them.

She walked over to Jack to see if he was okay. “Jack, how’s your lip?”

“I got a punch in the mouth, what do you think?” he sneered. “Now the secret is out, do you want to gloat?”

She’d felt many things for her brother at one point in her life or other, love, hero-worship, anger and jealousy. India never believed one of those emotions would be pity.

“You know I was jealous of you?” he said quietly.

She was surprised to hear him say it. “Of me? But you were always the one with the attention, and you got everything you wanted.”

“And I hated it. I saw you trying so hard to gain their acceptance even though I knew you never would, but you’ve accomplished so much. Me on the other hand, I screwed up so many times, sometimes on purpose but they still put me on that pedestal. Even though you never saw it, you were so together, and I wasn’t. I couldn’t quite get a handle on things in my life. I didn’t want to be worshipped for the son they thought I was. I wanted to be loved for who I was. I know I haven’t treated you so well, but I was jealous as hell of you, and for that, I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t realize.”

“You couldn’t have. I just wanted to say, I bear you no ill will.”

All the years of animosity she’d felt for him melted away in that moment. She couldn’t hate him anymore. She wasn’t sure if she ever did. Jack was just as much a victim of Leila and Trevor’s crummy parenting skills as she was. For the first time in her life, she finally felt like she could have a relationship with her brother.

“This probably wasn’t the ideal way to come out, but maybe now you can be happy?”

A slight grin touched his swollen lips and then he grimaced in pain. “You know. I think I just might. Thanks, little sis. You’re not so bad after all.”

She held her hand out to him, providing Jack leverage to get off the floor. She’d forgotten her parents’ presence in the room.

“Look, I need to get out of here, now. There’s someplace I need to be. If you ever need to…to talk, Aunt Val will always have my current numbers.”

He nodded.

She didn’t know whether to hug him goodbye or not. After all, it was difficult to change a twenty-nine-year habit. Compelled to cement their newfound understanding, she stood on the tip of her toes and brushed her lips against his cheek. “Take care.”

Without sparing her parents another look, she headed out of the dining room. She was almost to the door when she heard footsteps behind her. India was grabbed and turned around to meet the angry gaze of her mother. “This is all your fault! I know it is!” Leila screamed frantically. “I wished you’d died in that plane crash! Why did you have to come back and mess up everything?” There was a crazed look on the older woman’s face.

A long time ago, perhaps even a few months prior, that comment would have killed her inside, but it barely put a dent in her soul. Her parents no longer had the power to hurt her. She’d found the strength she never thought she had, and realized, she didn’t need them in her life. As a matter of fact, she would do better than fine without them.

For a long time India wondered what she would say to either one of her parents if she ever had the courage to say what she wanted to them. Now she did. She smiled at her mother. “You know what, Leila? I don’t give a shit what you think. Have a nice life.” And with that she turned on her heel and walked out of her parents’ home for the last time, knowing she would never be back.

Finally her demons had been set free. And now there was only one thing left, and that was to reunite with her men.