Page 3 (2/2)
Joss s several bills on the table to cover lunch Kylie stood too
"I’ll walk you out," Kylie said
Chessy shot Joss a raised brow look and then glanced pointedly at Kylie Joss sighed She kneas co With a wave to Chessy, Joss walked out of the restaurant, Kylie at her side
When they got to the cars, Kylie put a hand out to Joss’s arh?" she asked in a pleading tone "I’m really worried about you This isn’t like you at all What would Carson think? Joss, he’d die if he knew!"
"Kylie, Carson is dead," Joss said gently "We can’t bring hiet everything about one"
Tears clogged her throat Tears she’d refused to allow herself to shed today She’d been determined that this year would be different That she wouldn’t spend the anniversary of her husband’s death listless and grieving
Kylie’s eyes were grief stricken Tears welled up and slid soundlessly down her cheeks "I miss him so much, Joss He was one"
Joss enfolded her in a hug, holding her tightly as Kylie’s shoulders shook "You’re wrong You have fae things between us I swear it But Kylie, I have to pick up and rief has been slowly killing me, and Carson would hate that He’d never wanthim He’d be the first person to want me to be happy even if it wasn’t with hi hastily at her tears "I know that I do And I want you to be happy, Joss But does it have to be this way? You don’t understand what it’s like to be at the mercy of a monster You can’t possibly want to put yourself in a position where you’re helpless under a man’s power He could hurt you Abuse you Believe rading and powerless that feeling is and I do And I don’t want that for you Carson would never want that for you"
Joss gently wiped away the rest of Kylie’s tears "Not all ating what you and Carson went through I’d never allow that for myself And look at Chessy and Tate You knohat kind of relationship they have Do you honestly believe Tate would ever harm a hair on her head? He loves her He adores her He absolutely respects the gift of her sub her," Kylie said fiercely "You had to have seen what I saw today What we’ve seen for the last while She’s not happy, Joss, and I’ her?"
Joss blinked, utterly shocked by Kylie’s assertion Yes, she’d noticed that Chessy wasn’t her usual cheerful, sunny self She’d sensed that so was off about her best friend, but never had she entertained, even for aher physically
"I don’t know exactly what’s going on with Chessy and Tate," Joss said carefully "But I do know that there is no way he’s abusing her Chessy would never stand for it She’s too strong and independent, despite the fact that she gave Tate her sub her We’re too close of friends We’d know, Kylie We’d know"
"No one ever knew the hell that Carson and I endured," Kylie said painfully "We hid it fro parent incapable of ever doing us harm But behind closed doors he was a monster"
"Please don’t worry about me," Joss said "And don’t worry about Chessy I’ll talk to her if it makes you feel better I know Tate We all know Tate We’ve all been friends for years There is no way he is abusing Chessy And sweetie, I know you’re not happy with my choice I don’t expect you to accept it, but I’d like for you to respect it at least"
"I love you," Kylie said brokenly "And I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t at least try to steer you away from the path you seem so determined to take But if this is really what you want, if it’s what you need and it will make you happy, then I’ll try to respect your choices I just don’t want to lose you too"
Joss hugged her again "You’re not going to lose me You’re my sister and my best friend Carson was not one it doesn’t mean that our tie is severed You’re my family, Kylie I love you"
Kylie pulled away, a watery s on her lips "I’ll expect a report to about you I just hope you knohat it is you’re getting into"
"So do I," Joss murmured "So do I"
THREE
DASH Corbin parked his car outside The House and sat for a ht Normally on the anniversary of Carson’s death, Dash would spend the day--and evening--with Joss Not that he didn’t spend plenty of other days with her, but for the first two anniversaries of Carson’s passing, he’d spent the entire day with Joss Holding her Co her
And it was his own personal hell
It sucked to be in love with his best friend’s wife He’d lived with guilt for the entirety of Carson’s h Dash had done his best never to allow his feelings to show But his best friend was perceptive He knew him better than anyone else ever had They weren’t just business partners They were as close as brothers, though Dash hadn’t existed in the hell that Carson and Kylie had endured growing up
No, Dash’s family was the complete antithesis of Carson’s If you could call the piece-of-shit bastard who’d fathered Carson family Dash’s parents were still as solidly in love now as they were forty years ago when they’d s, the er sisters ere spoiled and protected by their older brothers
Carson had been befuddled by Dash’s close-knit family from the moment he’d first met them He hadn’t kno to react to a nor But Dash’s family had embraced Carson--and Joss, when Carson had h she was e family than Carson was