Library

27. The Truth

TWENTY-SEVEN

THE TRUTH

Garrett

The last few days I've spent with Dessa have been some of the best days ever. Every day she's becoming more and more of my everything. We spent most of our time together in her bed with the exception of her needing to work one day and me spending Christmas with my parents. Luckily, Tony was out of town, so he wasn't there to ruin my holiday.

There are zero issues with our physical relationship, but there's still a little hesitancy with her when it comes to our emotional one. Every day, I'll continue to show her I'm not going anywhere this time. I'll wait for as long as she needs because she's worth it.

Earlier today we said our goodbyes before she left to visit her parents. Like Dessa, I'm really starting to hate goodbyes. Unfortunately, it's what we have to do for now. We've made plans for me to fly back to Harbor Highlands in January. Then, as a surprise, I plan to fly her to Arizona for spring training in February, followed by a trip to Seattle for a home game.

In the meantime, I find myself killing time at Porter's, the sound of darts hitting the board echoing through the air. I opted for a late-night flight in order to have a few extra hours with Dessa. I'll be tired as hell tomorrow, but it's worth it.

"Holy shit, I never expected to see your ex-girlfriend at your wedding."

"Yeah, man. Dessa looked good too."

The dart slips from my grip, crashing to the floor at the mention of her name from a familiar voice I wasn't expecting to hear. Plus, there aren't too many girls named Dessa and ones who attended their ex's wedding. I bend over and collect the dart off the floor and continue to eavesdrop a little more intently. When I arrived, the bar was quiet so I figured I would have the dartboard area to myself. Little did I know I would have company. I lower the brim of my cap to shield my face. Placing the dart to the pub table, I lean closer to the half wall separating us as Tony and his friend talk.

"I can't believe you broke up with her all those years ago," a guy I don't recognize says.

"Truth be told, same. She was always the good girl. I kind of felt like an asshole for cheating on her," Tony says.

My jaw clenches as an inferno blazes through me. He fucking cheated on Dessa? How could he do that to her? She never said anything to me.

"Maybe if I didn't have a brief second of guilt, she would've been the one walking down the aisle toward me," Tony says as they both laugh.

What the fuck? He didn't tell her? I push off the table and nearly topple the stool over. I stalk around the half wall and to the table where my brother is sitting with one of his friends.

When I'm only a few steps away, Tony spots me. The confusion on his face quickly turns to panic. I come to a stop at the edge of the table and face him. My pulse races as I clench and unclench my fists, desperate to keep my temper at bay, but it's going to be a losing battle. "You cheated on Dessa?" I seethe.

Once the reason for my anger slaps him across the face, which I would like to do with my fist, he laughs and shakes his head. He lifts his chin and squares his shoulders. "I see you're still eavesdropping on my conversations, just like the little brother you are." He takes a swig of his beer.

I grit my teeth so hard I'm surprised I don't crack a molar. "Fuck you. Answer the question."

"There may have been a time," he glances at his friend and laughs, "or two." He shrugs, a half smirk on his face I want to brush off with my fist.

"You are a piece of shit," I spit.

His stool screeches across the linoleum as he jumps to his feet so we're chest to chest. Tony may be older, but I have a couple of inches on him and more muscle.

His face is inches away from mine, beer lingering on his breath. "Why the fuck do you care? You left her to go be a hotshot baseball player. You discarded her like day-old trash, so I made sure to comfort my girlfriend ."

My nostrils flare as my fists clench. I despise she held that title with him. But it's in the past. I'm determined to make her my future.

"Then I was done." He shrugs a shoulder, a half smirk on his face as he turns to his friend like it's something to be proud of.

My blood boils. He has zero remorse for his actions. He only thinks about himself. Typical Tony. Just like when he kissed Dessa, knowing I liked her. "It doesn't matter what I did. She didn't deserve that."

"Look, baby bro." He clasps his hand on my shoulder, his fingers piercing the muscle. I jerk away. "You're the Home Run Playboy, go find a chick and score yourself some home runs tonight. Quit holding on to something you never got." He flashes me a condescending smirk.

There's only one girl I want, and she's not here right now. My jaw clenches as my fingers flex. He's a narcissistic asshole who thinks he can get away with whatever he wants.

"Wait." His laugh is sinister before he narrows his eyes at me. "Are you going to run and tell Dessa since you two are besties now? Remember, you left for ten years. Left her . If you think she wants you now, you're delusional."

"Fuck you! You don't know shit." My fist clenches. Rage flows through my veins like lava. Years of hurt and betrayal are seconds away from exploding out of me. Everything Tony has done. "You've always been jealous of me. Wanted everything I had but you weren't good enough. Didn't work hard enough."

He exhales a barbed laugh. "Give me a fucking break. I'm not jealous of shit. Most of all, I'm not jealous of you!"

My jaw hardens as I shake my head. That's the biggest lie I've ever heard. "Then why did you kiss Dessa?" I raise an eyebrow, waiting for an answer, but I shouldn't expect one. He'll just deflect like he always does. I inch closer to him, not the least bit intimidated by him. "Because I can guarantee the only reason was because I liked her and you couldn't stand the idea of me having one more thing that you couldn't have," I grit out so only he can hear.

"So, the golden boy has come back to town to save the day? Why don't you go back to missing catches? You seem good at that. Probably did it on purpose." He turns to his friend and both cackle with laughter.

As kids, our mom always reminded us we are brothers, and family sticks together. She wanted us to get along, and for the most part we did. Everything changed in high school. It hasn't been the same since and never will be. For once, it's time for him to own up to his actions. It's not even for me. It's for Dessa. "You have two days to tell her yourself. She deserves that. She deserves the truth. And to hear it from the piece of shit you are. If you don't tell her, I will," I sneer.

He takes a step closer to me, his chest bumping into mine, desperate to appear tough. His cheek is inches from mine. I glare daggers at him from the corner of my eyes as he says, "And who do you think she's going to believe? I'm not the one who left her." He pulls away, and his lips curl into a half smile. "And we've rekindled our friendship, so I guess while you're away, I'll be spending more time with her."

Nothing but red fills my vision. I've finally reached my boiling point. I should have done this years ago. My fingers curl into a ball of steel. The air between us grows thick with tension. I pull my arm back and surge it forward, like a bullet firing out of the barrel. My fist connects with his cheek with a sickening thud. His head snaps to the side, his body following the momentum.

He stumbles back as his hand flies to his face. "What the fuck, Garrett?!"

"That's for being a piece of shit to Dessa," I spit.

He drops his hand. "And that's it? You just want to defend her honor? Well aren't you a fucking pussy."

My pulse pounds in my ears and I lunge at him, but an arm across my chest halts my movements, and I'm yanked back.

"What the fuck are you doing, man? Don't do this. He's not worth it," Jake grits out next to my ear. Once I'm out of arm's reach of Tony, he spins me around and pushes me toward the bar. He pulls out a stool and points at it. "Sit."

Jake turns around, his voice commanding as he yells, "Listen up! Everyone better put their fucking cell phones away. No one is going to go spilling any bullshit to the tabloids. If any photos or videos pop up on social media, you best believe I'll find out who you are, and you won't be allowed in my bar or any other bar in Harbor Highlands." He returns his attention to Tony. "You can also get the fuck out of my bar."

Tony throws his hands in the air, the imprint of my fist visible on his cheek. "What the hell? He punched me."

"You started it. He just finished it. So, there's the exit." Jake points across the bar.

"Whatever. This place is bullshit, anyway." Tony shoves a stool, and it hits the floor with a thud.

Tony clenches his fists as he and his friend storm out of Porter's, their eyes narrowing at me while Jake escorts them out the door. Once they're gone, Jake turns around. All the customers turn their heads away from him, afraid they'll be the next subject of his wrath. When he makes a demand, people listen. He's the best person to have on your side. On the other hand, if he's standing across from you, you're fucked. Because of him, my one bad decision may stay under wraps. Slowly, Porter's returns to its normal noise level.

Jake taps me on my shoulder and nods for me to follow him. I climb off the stool. I feel like I'm about to be scolded by the principal for fighting, even though I never got into fights. In his office, he points to the chair in front of his desk while he takes a seat on the other side. He doesn't even need to say a word—his actions say them all.

Jake rests his elbows on the desk, eyes narrowing. "What the hell was that? People eat that shit up for their five minutes of fame."

I scrub my hands down my face. "I know. Unfortunately, it's been a long time coming. He's always been a piece of shit, and him cheating on Dessa was my tipping point. She doesn't deserve that."

He blows out a breath. "No, she doesn't. But you need to think about your actions and the consequences. You have a lot more to lose than he does."

I nod. He's right. If this didn't happen here, it would be all over social media and blasted to the tabloids by now. I don't need the headlines to read "Star Warbler Player Punches Brother in a Fit of Rage."

"Also, Dessa's pretty good at handling her own." He raises an eyebrow.

I know she is. She always was, but I have the urge to protect her, and it's not going to go away anytime soon. Since Dessa's with her parents, I'm not going to ruin her night tonight. I'll tell her tomorrow, since Tony won't, and she deserves to know even though it would be better coming from the piece of shit's mouth instead.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.