Wild Side (Rose Hill, #3)(22)

Her features go blank at the last part. And it’s true. I was wondering why he was more obsessed with tabby cats than dinosaurs. It never made sense. But it does now.

Her lips finally quirk, and she softly asks, “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Are you allergic?”

Good lord, this woman will talk about anything but the issue at hand. “Sort of. I’m not a cat guy.”

She scoffs and gives me a knowing smirk. I’m tempted to tell her she’s reading into that all wrong, but I bite my tongue.

“Listen, this is a tremendous responsibility, one I take seriously and was not prepared for in the least, so can we just lay our swords down for a minute?”

“I don’t like you.”

I take an absent sip of wine and stare off at the massive industrial fridge. “So I’ve gathered.”

“I love my sister. I don’t know what she told you. And I don’t mean what I’m about to say cruelly, but she never told me you were involved with Milo either. Just told me how hot you were and that you liked your privacy, so it would be better if I didn’t visit her there when you were in town.”

My brow furrows. “You visited?”

Tabitha’s eyes widen in astonishment. “Of course. Dude, are you kidding me? I’m still paying off the debt I have from sending her to the best rehab facility I could find. I swooped in often to take care of Milo so she could have a break. She told me she had a boyfriend but didn’t want to bring him around yet. I always assumed it was you.”

What the fuck?

My head spins from Tabitha’s account. Every time I think I know what I’m doing, Erika blindsides me from beyond the grave. I don’t know what game she was playing, but it’s starting to look like I got played for a fool by a woman I genuinely cared for. It’s hard to accept and even harder to understand.

“It wasn’t me. And she told me the same thing about a boyfriend. But I took care of Milo when she was with him too.”

Tabitha’s lips purse and push from side to side as if she doesn’t like the taste of what she just heard, but she doesn’t address anything.

“Do your parents help out with Milo a lot?” I venture carefully. “I was under the impression they cut her off.”

Tabitha sighs and flops back in her chair. She looks as though she might melt and slip right onto the floor. “It’s complicated. And I’m the lucky go-between.”

I tilt my head in response, wanting more details.

She lets out an annoyed huff before continuing. “They did cut her off, and there’s a part of me that doesn’t blame them. When she was down, she was…hard to deal with. They were constantly worried. And it went on for a long time. The lying, the mood swings, the disappearing, the stealing. That was the final straw. She stole their wedding rings and pawned them. They were passed down from my grandparents, and I think it just broke my dad’s damn heart.”

I swallow a lump in my throat, and Tabitha looks away, blinking rapidly.

“There’s a part of me that gets it. But there’s a bigger part of me that holds it against them. Because I just…I couldn’t bring myself to cut ties. I mean, you know”—her voice drops an octave as it thickens—“that’s my big sister. My idol. Even though that one fucking injury sent her on a downhill spiral, I couldn’t just leave her.”

The lump in my throat keeps me from talking. And it’s just as well. She seems to be on a roll, and I don’t want to cut her off. Truth be told, I hang on every word out of Tabitha Garrison’s mouth.

“So, I took over. And when Milo came around, I worked both sides. Basically told them that having a mom and grandparents in the picture would be best for Milo. And eventually everyone gave in. And it worked but—”

But she carried a heavy burden.

Her nose wiggles, and she waves the thought off. “Anyway, my mom and dad were great parents, and they are even better grandparents. But I don’t know if I’ll ever totally forgive them for bailing on Erika.” Her gaze drops. “Not that I’d tell them that. But I’m working on letting it go.” She lets out a bittersweet chuckle before pointing at her chest. “Hence the shirt.”

“I’m sorry,” I say simply. And I mean it. It’s a sad fucking story. And with the shit I’ve seen in the foster care system, I also know it’s not an uncommon story.

Tabitha presses her lips together and nods in my direction. Her eyes are glassy, but she doesn’t cry. She doesn’t strike me as a crier. “Thanks. I’m sorry you’re caught up in this.”

I shrug. I’m used to life throwing me curveballs.

“Are you going to try and take him, eventually?” she asks softly.

I suck in a breath and shift at the table. “I don’t know.”

She looks me in the eye. “I’ll fight this, Rhys. And I won’t give up until I’m broke and ruined. I’ve already been in contact with a lawyer about contesting custody. So just know that I will do everything in my power to keep him. I’m not saying this to be difficult. I’m just giving you a heads-up.”

“I believe you.” And I do. I’ve faced off in my fair share of brawls, and something tells me Tabitha Garrison would be the fight of my life if I ever decided to go toe-to-toe with her.