Chapter 16

I decideto leave Ame and Cora for a bit, so I can pay a visit to my parents since Dad just texted to let us know he's home. After parking the car in front of their driveway, I pull out my phone to text Lyric and Indie.

Gabe: Are either one of you available tonight?

Lyr: It depends. Did you fix your issues with the wife?

Indie: I can't believe you never told me you married Ameline.

Gabe: Who else did you tell, Lyric?

Lyr: Our sisters, brothers . . . some cousins. Piper kind of knew, but now she's pissed at you just like the rest of us.

Gabe: I'm upset at myself too, but let's focus on what matters. Can either one of you help me tonight?

Lyr: What do you need?

Gabe: Ame's niece is staying with us while her mom is in the hospital. However, her baby brother is in the PICU. I'd love it if either one of you could stay with Cora for the night so Ame and I could be there.

Indie: (lets out a heavy sigh)

Lyr: We'll both do it, but you need to fix your shit with Ame.

Indie: What she said.

Gabe: Thank you. I love you both.

Pocketing my phone, I head inside my parents' house. But I barely take a few steps before I freeze. "Knock on the fucking door," I hear from the living room. Turning, I find Dad butt naked on top of Mom.

I almost spin on my heel, jump in my car, and never come back. However, I can't do that. Not before I have a long conversation with them. "That's my mother you're . . . Ugh, just get dressed, father. I'll be waiting outside."

Stepping back outside, I find Jude in front of me. What the fuck is he doing here?

"You know what I hate the most about you?" I ask.

"That I'm more handsome?"

"Nope. You're always two minutes behind," I groan, glancing toward the door.

He gives me a puzzled look and then glances at the door before he smirks. "Did you catch them naked again?"

I nod. The asshole laughs. "Look at the silver lining: our parents won't get divorced any time soon. I mean, at their age, they're still having sex pretty often."

Our father then bursts through the door. "How many times do I have to say it? Knock on the fucking door."

Jude lifts his hands in surrender. "Hey, I just got here."

Dad snorts dismissively. "Would've been you if it wasn't him," he grumbles. "Didn't my text make it clear? I'm home."

"Yes, that's why I'm here," I say. "To see my loving parents."

"Kiss ass," Jude mumbles.

"No," Dad barks. "It meant, ‘Don't come to the house. I'm having quality time with my woman.'"

"You mean our mom?" Jude smirks at him. "I don't think I appreciate the way you refer to the lady. First and foremost, she's my mother. But we're here, and now you need to let us in."

"You're so disrespectful," Dad says, moving away from the door so we can enter.

"It's good to see you, Old Man." Jude pats his back.

"Hey, Dad," I greet him, but I'm not sure if I want to stay since Jude is here. When we step in, Mom is sitting in the living room watching us.

I wave. "Hi, Mom."

"You boys shouldn't be here," she says.

Jude sits next to her hugging her tight. "And miss greeting my favorite lady after a long trip?"

"Who's kissing ass now?" I mutter.

"Why are they here?" Dad glances at Mom and then back at us. My mom shrugs, but they both have a goofy smile on their faces.

"You have two minutes before I show you to the door," Dad says.

"Golden boy is here to talk." Jude intertwines his hands on the back of his neck and stretches. "It's a conversation that's long overdue, so of course I'm here to watch the show."

I glare at Jude. "How do you know?"

"Indie and Lyr." He grins. "They texted me this morning to let me know what happened at the penthouse. I couldn't resist coming over to watch the family drama."

"Get out of here," I warn him.

He shakes his head, giving me a challenging glare. "Make me."

"Why do they always digress?" Dad sighs, shaking his head.

"What's going on?" Mom asks, studying me. "What drama is Jude talking about? Which one of you is in trouble?"

Dad narrows his gaze. "Is this why Lyric came home? What the fuck did you do now, Jude?"

Jude shakes his head. "Why would you always think it's me? Maybe"—he glances at me—"maybe this time it was Mr. Perfect who fucked up."

"Just leave, Jude," I insist.

He shakes his head. Knowing Jude, he's not going to leave until I talk to our parents. And since Ameline and I have to be back at the PICU to spend the night with Caleb, I have no other choice but to speak now.

I take a deep breath and say, "I came here to discuss Ameline."

Mom and Dad look at each other. Whatever was said with that glance doesn't sit well. I point from one to the other and ask, "What was that?"

They both shrug.

"I mentioned Ame, and you two had an entire conversation," I growl. "You don't like her, do you? Is that why you told her to leave me?"

Mom cocks an eyebrow while Dad crosses his arms and leans against the wall. "Well, that took you a long time." He scoffs.

"Why are we having this conversation today," Mom states, looking at Jude and me. "Is Ame okay? Did her tumor come back?"

"Oh, she's back," Jude states and smirks. "At least that's what Lyric told me. Ame is not very happy with our golden boy—or you two. Hence, why he's here."

"It's not that we didn't like her," Dad says immediately, as if he knows exactly what he did to her. "She just reminded us of Norah."

I frown puzzled. "Who the fuck is Norah?"

After a deep breath, Dad recounts the story of a woman he dated after splitting with Mom—a woman with terminal cancer who ended up exploiting Dad's emotions. I recall Ameline mentioning the same thing. They liked Ame a lot, but the situations were so similar. They really thought I was still hung up on Leslie, and using Ameline to forget her.

"We didn't want Ame to become a casualty of unrequited love, or for you to end up resenting her because you couldn't love her the way she did you," Mom says softly. "She was falling into a depression and you were obviously avoiding her. I spoke to her, because I felt she deserved better—you both did."

My jaw tightens, heat rising up my neck. They have no idea how I felt about her. No fucking clue the depths of my love, of the promise I made to spend an eternity with Ame. I press my lips firmly together and take a slow breath through my nose before responding.

"It wasn't anything like that," I say after they're done explaining. "But I agree. She did deserve more than I could give her then. Not because my feelings for her weren't real. They were truer than anything I've ever known. I was just . . . My behavior was because of everything that happened during her surgery and . . . I was too broken to function."

"I told you to go to a therapist," Jude says. "But no one ever listens to me."

"What happened during her surgery?" Mom asks.

"To understand my relationship with Ameline, I need to tell you how we met," I say. I detail everything—from the moment Cedric first brought Ameline to our apartment to the minute she walked out my door. When I get to the pregnancy and miscarriage, Mom is crying, Dad holding her hand silently.

"You should have told us," Mom says, sniffling.

"He couldn't," Jude states. "You guys can be great parents but also very judgmental. Gabe tries so damn hard to never mess up. When he does, we cover his tracks so you never find out."

"We're not that harsh—" Dad starts, but Jude cuts him off.

"Oh, you are, Dad," Jude interrupts him. "Somehow, you want to show your brother and sister that Gabe and I are better than their children. Personally, I don't give a shit when I fuck up, but Gabe does. He's the sensitive one."

Mom, still visibly shaken, struggles to find her words. "If I had only known . . . She was so alone when she lost the baby. And you . . . I could've been there for both of you." Her voice cracks. "When I had my loss, at least I had your aunt to lean on."

Dad squeezes her hand as fresh tears spill down her cheeks. Jude and I exchange a look—they lost a baby? I want to know more but this isn't the time.

"Ame's back. Not for me but for her sister, niece, and nephew," I state. "This is my only chance to get my wife back. But it's complicated when she thinks my whole family hates her."

Mom huffs, then pulls me into a tight hug. "We love Ameline, and I'm so sorry we didn't handle things well. I'm also sorry for everything you went through alone. You should have come to us."

"We love you, and you don't need to be perfect," Dad adds, hugging me too. "So Ameline's back now, and you got to grovel hard, yeah?"

I nod but tell them about Izzy, Cora, and Caleb. Mom offers to make a schedule so the kids always have support from my parents and siblings. She also suggests I call my grandfather who'll have several recommendations for therapists that can help Cora.

"Maybe you should go to therapy too," she suggests.

I want to remind her that I have a counselor who I see at least every month. But I don't because I only talk about my patients, never about my private life.

There's clearly something wrong with me if I can't even acknowledge that I'm a person outside my practice.

I better figure this out fast before I lose Ame again, but am I capable of that?