Surprise and gratitude swelled in my chest and stole any response I might’ve had. Dipping my head, I opened the door and stepped out of the truck. Heading toward the people waiting with looks ranging from subdued to encouraging.
I stopped near Sawyer and Rae, mouth parted to say something. Maybe thank them for being there. But a weighted breath rushed from me instead, my head shaking as everything gathered in my throat and choked me.
Clapping Sawyer’s shoulder, I started for the house. By the time I knocked, my brothers and the girls were directly behind me. When Savannah answered, I thought I was gonna be sick.
Her eyes were red and bloodshot from crying. Dark, puffy circles rested underneath as if she hadn’t slept since it’d all gone down.
She adjusted Levi on her hip as her stare darted between all of us, her chin trembling as she tried to hold on to her composure. Her head moved in a circling sort of nod. “Right. It’s Monday. I’m sorry, I—” One of her shoulders jerked up.
Emberly slipped around me with a gentle smile and hands out. “I think this chunk should hang out with me for a little while.”
“Um,” Savannah muttered even as Emberly took Levi and stepped inside, turning to look back at us as Rae followed her in.
“You mean us,” Rae corrected and then glanced at Savannah. “Does he need to eat?”
Savannah stared at her for a moment before stuttering, “N-no. He just did.”
“Perfect,” Rae said with a soft clap as she followed Emberly deeper into the house. “Say ‘bye, Momma.’”
Savannah watched them go until Levi’s babbling couldn’t be heard anymore before focusing on us.
“Can we come in?” I asked hesitantly.
A stuttered exhale ripped from her as she turned and walked away, leaving the door wide open behind her.
We followed the sound of cupboards opening and slamming shut, and found her roughly setting out mugs as tears slipped down her cheeks.
“You don’t have to—”
“I need to,” she snapped.
“Okay,” I whispered and watched as Sawyer headed for the coffee maker. Wordlessly getting it prepped as Savannah seemed to struggle with setting out the mugs exactly how she wanted them.
Once Sawyer had the coffee going, he turned and pulled Savannah into his arms.
A sob wrenched from deep inside her as she collapsed against him. Her hands lifting to cover her face and her shoulders jerking with her cries.
I’d done that.
I wasn’t the source of her pain, but I’d delivered it.
I should’ve listened to Madison. I knew that. I’d known that as soon as the fighting ended. But when Madison had left, all I could hear was her confession. All I could see was her and my brother. And I’d needed him to hurt.
“Have you talked to him?” I asked when Savannah straightened away from Sawyer.
Her head moved in quick shakes as she wiped at her cheeks. “He’s called about a hundred times, though. I don’t even know where he’s been staying.”
Sawyer cleared his throat. Apprehension washing over his features as he held up a finger before pointing it at his chest and then directing it at Cayson.
I looked between my brothers in question. Sawyer seemed to shrink when Savannah looked up at him in disapproval. “I, uh—”
“He’s in mine and Emberly’s condo,” Cayson said, taking the heat off Sawyer though I had no doubt our youngest brother had been the one to let Beau in there.
Savannah seemed to consider that information for a while, her expression falling as she muttered, “Doesn’t matter where he is.”
“Savannah, we need to talk,” I began, voice thick. “I can’t imagine how that was for you, and I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry that I made you find out that way.”
“I wouldn’t have known otherwise,” she said quickly, softly. “I needed to know.”
“You should’ve found out some other way—any other way. And you need . . .” I dragged off my hat and gripped it tight in my hands. “You need to know everything.”
The four of us were clustered around the large kitchen table by the time I finished relaying everything Madison had told me. Cayson and Sawyer had remained silent. Savannah hadn’t said a word as she listened, staring into her coffee mug.
For minutes after, we just sat there until Savannah asked, “Do you know when that spring break was? And when your graduation was?”
“What do you mean?”
“The dates.”
I lifted a hand just enough from the table to let her know I didn’t have a clue. “Why?”
She didn’t respond, just started whispering to herself as she tapped on the table, looking like she was counting.
When she sat back with a little nod, I repeated, “Why?”
“Our spring breaks are usually sometime in March.” She held out a hand and mumbled, “Graduation at the end of May.”
I looked to Cayson, but he just shrugged. “Okay,” I said, drawing out the word.
She took a sip from her second cup of coffee before explaining, “If Madison had been pregnant, it couldn’t have been Beau’s.” She drummed her fingers on the mug, her head slanting and eyes meeting mine. “Unless this is just another story they came up with to cover what really happened.”
“You think she lied to me?” I asked doubtfully.
I’d struggled with the truth of Madison’s story at first. But that was when I’d still been blindsided by the entire thing. Too much of what she said added up. Too much made other things make sense. Her confession started a twisted domino effect, providing answers to questions I hadn’t realized I’d had all these years.
“I don’t know what to believe,” Savannah whispered, her eyes shining with building tears. “Because even if that is true, it doesn’t change this sinking pit in my stomach. It doesn’t change that they went months acting like nothing happened before she left. That she came back and pretended to be my friend. And he—” She dropped her head into her hand as her chest heaved. “He consoled me when I was devastated over her leaving, he was angry at her on my behalf, and he helped her plan it. He has known every day for all these years what he did, and he kept it from me.”
“I know.”
“And, Beau,” she continued as her glassy stare searched out mine, “he knew. He promised, Hunter. I’ve been there for him—I’ve always been there for him. But his fighting was getting worse. His anger was at this level that . . .” Her head shook as she thought. “It didn’t scare me, but I was afraid one day I wouldn’t be able to calm him. That he would get so lost in that anger, there would be no way to stop him. So, he knew. He knew if he fought again, we would be done. Before we got married, he promised to keep himself in check . . . to never throw a punch again. With every baby we’ve had, he’s repeated that promise to me.”
I sank lower in my chair and scrubbed my hands over my face. The guilt I’d been feeling multiplied as I realized the depth of what was happening between Beau and Savannah.
I should’ve known.
I should’ve known better than to go hitting someone like Beau. Especially when Madison had been right there. When Savannah and Beau’s kids had been in the house.