“Because it’s the polite thing to do. Everyone knows that. Geez,” he grumbled, turning back around. “You leave for five minutes, and suddenly you forget the way things work around here.”
My door was yanked open as soon as we came to a stop, and Mom smothered me in her boobs, crying as she squeezed me tight.
“Mom, I can’t breathe!” I cried out, smacking her arm.
She finally let me up for air, wiping away fake tears as she fussed over me. “I’m so sorry it didn’t work out, but these things happen.”
“I know, Mom.”
“And if that boy didn’t want you, that’s his problem.”
“It wasn’t that he didn’t want me—” I started, but never got to finish, because why would any mother be interested in what actually happened when she could make up her own version to tell the neighbors?
“You know, I never liked that boy from the start. I knew he was bad news.”
“You did not. You were trying to plan my wedding after I was already married.”
She tucked her arm through mine and dragged me to the house where my father was waiting. “I didn’t trust him. Not after he got you tangled up in that mess.”
“It was actually me who got him tangled up, courtesy of looking just like someone else.”
“Well, not that it matters, who dragged who into what mess, but I still say he could have handled it better. And I never did get to talk to his mother. That should have been my first sign that he wasn’t right for you.”
There was no point in arguing when she was on a roll, so I climbed the stairs and bit my tongue. Dad walked forward, his arms crossed over his chest in disapproval.
“I know,” I sighed, not giving him the chance to argue with me. “I never should have gone out there and shirked my responsibilities on the ranch. My place is here, and by moving away, I put everyone in a bad position. Does that about cover it?”
He quirked an eyebrow at me. “A week isn’t really giving things a shot. How the hell are you gonna know if you could have made the marriage work if you gave up after a week?”
And with that, he stormed into the house, leaving me baffled on the porch.
“That didn’t exactly go as I thought,” I murmured.
“Neither did your marriage,” Jeff chuckled. “Oh, burn!”
I shoved him off the porch, ignoring his yelp as he fell into the bushes.
“I got it!”I shouted at Jeff as he tried to help me get the door open, even though I had two hands and was perfectly capable of doing this on my own.
“I’m just trying to help. Geez!”
“Go away!”
I kicked him in the shin, then shoved the door open and tumbled over my own feet, falling to the floor. “Look what you made me do!” I screamed at him.
“Well, if you had just let me help, none of this would have happened.”
“If you weren’t an idiot, none of this would have happened,” I retorted.
“You know, you’re really mean, and I don’t think I want to play with you anymore.”
“Fine!”
“Fine!” he snapped, marching down the steps toward the truck where my brothers were laughing at us.
They were all assholes and could shove a pickle up their asses.
Getting to my feet, I hauled my luggage inside, cursing when the wheels got caught on my rug.