I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to hear what he was going to say. I had him exactly where I wanted him. Where he had always placed my mom and me.
An afterthought.
“Jake. Son. Please.”
My fists clenched. But he wasn’t going to leave, and I didn’t think my mom or Angie would appreciate me starting a fight in the hospital. And Sophie didn’t need to see any of this.
I turned to Shelby. “Can you take her?—“
“Yeah. We’ll leave in just a sec.” She turned and wiggled her fingers at Sophie.
“Let me know if—“ I trailed off, not sure what I even meant to say.
“I will.”
I nodded to her in thanks. Not sure I could speak full sentences. My emotions were raw, and my body was tight and rigid and begging for some sort of release. Not a great combination for an afternoon chat with this man. But I followed him out to the waiting room. But instead of stopping there, I kept walking out the front doors of the hospital, finally stopping on the sidewalk.
I folded my arms and waited.
Cole Evans cleared his throat. “How’s your mom doing?”
I shook my head. “Try again.”
“What?”
“You’re not part of this family. It shouldn’t concern you.”
He blew out a frustrated sigh. “Jake. Don’t be like that. I know I messed up, alright?“
“Why are you here?” I asked, forcing myself to look him in the eye, though it made me sick to do it.
“I’m still your mom’s emergency contact. They called me last night when they couldn’t get a hold of you.”
“Sorry you had to make the trip. I’ll be sure to have you removed.”
I tried to brush past him, but he stepped in front of me, his hand on my chest. “I’m glad they called me. I want to help. I know it’s going to be expensive. She’s going to have to be out of work for a long time. Insurance won’t cover all of this.”
A bitter laugh flew past my lips, though nothing about this was funny. There had been so many times growing up that I’d lived for the day I could tell my dad off, but he never showed up at the right moment. I could only be grateful he pulled it off today.
“I don’t remember you showing up to help when the car you left us with blew a transmission. I don’t remember you showing up out of the goodness of your heart to help when our well went dry, and we took out a thirty-thousand-dollar loan to diganother one. I don’t remember you paying for food or clothes my entire life. So I’m sorry if I can’t quite figure out why you’re here now.”
His jaw twitched, and he sucked in a breath. “There’s a lot you don’t know.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. There probably is. But there’s a lot I do know.”
I moved past him, fingers clenched in bridled fury when he grabbed my arm and pulled.
“Son, I tried to send?—“
I yanked my arm out of his grip.
“We don’t need you,” I spat. “You don’t get to waltz in here and throw your money around and get the whole town thinking you’re something special.”
“Son—“
I stepped in front of him, eyes blazing. “You call me that again, I’ll break your damn jaw.”
My body was wound so tight, coiled, ready to spring if he made a move to touch me. I had no doubt I’d start swinging. I’d probably never stop.