I waited until they were out of earshot before murmuring, “You’re really close to Summer’s family?”
“What?” Garrett was grinning from ear to ear. “Oh, yeah, I am. She really hasn’t said a word?”
I shook my head. “Not a word.”
“Wow. She said she’d keep quiet, but I didn’t think she really would. She’s a good goddaughter. She’s excited about little Seb.”
“Seb?”
A car door sounded behind me. I heard it in the back of my mind, but I wasn’t paying attention. “You’re naming her Seb?”
Garrett laughed. “No, no. Sabrina, but her nickname will be Seb. Sharon’s already calling her that. We’re not quite out of the first trimester, but I knew I needed to let you know what was going on. I mean, we’re hoping you’ll be her godmother.”
More emotion. More tears.
My heart was melting.
I coughed, trying to clear some of the pressure weighing on my chest. “Of course.”
The door opened behind me.
I was going to be a godmother. My word. I knew my smile was spread from cheek to cheek. I couldn’t wait to tell Mason and Logan.
A male voice sounded behind me.
“Uncle Garrett, I forgot you were coming today.”
Wait…
A sickening feeling took root.
Garrett laughed and reached around me to shake a hand. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It’s your birthday. Plus,” he clasped me to him, bringing me around to face who I already knew it was, “I can finally introduce you to my daughter. Samantha.”
I wanted to vomit.
Garrett introduced, “This is my godson, Sebastian.”
Looking down at me, his eyes laughing at me, was Park Sebastian. One corner of his mouth lifted into a cocky smirk and he drawled, “Happy birthday to me.”
I punched Sebastian.
My hand was in a fist, and I was swinging before I realized what I was doing. When I did, I swung harder. I glared at him, silently daring him to do something about it.
Sebastian kept staring right back at me.
I’d made contact with his cheek, and a red spot was already forming, but he hadn’t done anything. He hadn’t flinched. He hadn’t hissed. He hadn’t stepped back. He took the hit and never broken eye contact with me.
Well, if he was going for scary…I thought about doing it again.
He must’ve sensed my intent. He warned, “Don’t you dare.”
I huffed out, “Really?” And I swung again. I didn’t care about the girls-can’t-hit-guys-because-they-can’t-fight-back rule. That was bullshit.
Park Sebastian deserved all the punches he got.
“Samantha!”
I stopped, my arm in mid swing, and let it fall back to my side. I’d forgotten Garrett was there.
He looked shocked. His eyes were arched high, and his head was craned backward. “What are you doing? You can’t hit people.”
Sebastian snorted.
I rounded on him. “You use cars, dude. They use fists. One grossly outweighs the other. You can defend yourself against a hand. You can’t against an oncoming car.”
“Wait—” Garrett’s head was swiveling between us. Back and forth. Back and forth.
“Really? What about a house being burned down? What did I do that was worse than that?” Sebastian shoved his face forward, right into mine. He stopped with barely an inch separating us. “He took my house away. My house. That was everything to me.”
“You tried to take his future away.”
“No.” He laughed, and it sent a chill through me. “His future isn’t his career. Oh, no. Someone else is his future, and you’re damn right. I—” He stopped. His eyes went wide, and a look of panic flared there before he jerked backward. He raked a hand over his head. “Shit. I…” He shook his head. “I didn’t mean that, Samantha. I didn’t. I’m sorry.”
Someone else. I didn’t need two guesses to know that I’d been right this whole time. He wanted to hurt Mason via me. I was that ‘someone else.’ I held my hands up and started around him. “I’ve heard enough. All you did was confirm my suspicion.”
Garrett asked, “What just happened?”
I shoved out the door, the second one for the day, and stalked down the driveway. Whatever. I’d get to the street, walk to an intersection, and phone a cab from there.
I was around the first bend when Summer started shouting behind me, “Sam! Sam!”
I clipped my head from side to side. I wasn’t having it.
Her feet pounded on the pavement, running behind me.
My teeth ground against each other as she came to my side. I could feel her caution, and I snapped, “Don’t! You lied to me.” Screw it. If we’re going to do this, it might as well be when I am heated.
She stopped, her face pale. One of her hands lifted, as if to ward me off, but she let it fall slowly back down. “I did.”
“He’s your brother. Your fucking brother.”
She winced. “Okay. One, he’s not my fucking brother. He’s my brother. That word makes it sound gross and twisted. He’s my brother. That’s it.”
“You have different last names.”
“I took our mom’s maiden name, and he kept our dad’s last name. If you haven’t figured it out, I’m not close to my dad or his family. I can’t stand Molly, and most days, I can’t stand Parker either.”