Letting Go (Mitchell Family #1)(48)
Author: Jennifer Foor

Ty looked so mad.

“I hate you. I went through Hell for you.” I screamed.

Colt continued to hold me back. “Ty, you and I are family. I am real sorry for what I did. I just have to ask. Do you love her enough to want her to be happy? Do you want that for her? After everything? I’ve watched you both grow up. I know you want her to be happy.”

“Fuck you Colt.” Ty ran his hand through his hair. “Van?”

I turned to look at him but refused to speak. Everything I had ever known was shattered into pieces.

“I’m sorry.” His eyes were full of tears. “God I can’t believe I am saying this… Is he really what you want? Do you really love him that much?”

I ran my fingers into Colt’s and he immediately tightened his grip. I couldn’t speak. I was too choked up between the pain and anger and the alcohol. I nodded my head up and down.

He looked to Colt. “If you hurt her I will f**king kill you. This is wrong in so many ways.” He held out his hand to his cousin. “We are blood. I might hate you both right this second, but I also love you. This shit hurts, but I guess I deserve it.”

“Ty.” Colt tried to say something, but Ty stopped him.

He shook his head. “Van, Colts right for you. I was never ready to settle down. Shit I couldn’t even be faithful after I proposed. That’s why I was leaving the bar tonight. I got halfway down the road and told them to bring me back. I had this feeling in my gut that something bad was going to happen. I came back in the bar and I watched you.”

He pointed from me to Colt. “I saw you looking at him the way you never once looked at me. I saw your hands all over each other. I’ve danced with my fair share of women, but none of them remotely came close to that show. I don’t even think it was the touching. You were both so in sync with each other. As if that wasn’t enough, I hid and watched my cousin take you in that truck. I should have stopped you, but I couldn’t believe it. For the past week I have tried time and time again to get you to touch me. You just kept pushing me away. I knew there was someone else, but I never realized it was my own family. Someone that I think of as a brother.”

He pointed to Colt. “And you….I asked you if you knew who she had been with. You lied right to my face. I should have known though. The signs were there. My God even the f**king dog was a sign. No matter how many people were around, all she wanted to do was be around you. How could I have been so damn blind?”

I put my hand over my mouth. Ty was only about a foot from me and Colt was standing in between us.

Ty held his hands up and just started yelling. “DAMMIT!”

He covered his face in his hands for a few minutes while we just stood there quiet. Everyone in the parking lot had been gone even before Colt and I were done our little bit in the truck. We were all alone.

Finally, Ty looked up. “I just can’t believe this!”

“So what happens now?” I asked, trying my hardest to change the subject. I knew Ty was confessing his deepest secrets and even though I was very much over him, I felt so betrayed. The last five years were a lie. I needed to get away from him. He was in pain, but right now more than ever I felt like he deserved it.

“You go home.” Ty announced.

“What about you?” To be honest I was afraid to be with them in that truck.

“Van, I just told you I loved you both. You may not want me, but you will always be a part of my family. The best man won right? He knows it’s the truth. How long do you really think I could have gotten away with it? With lying to you and cheating on you? Colt may have kept his mouth shut, but Heather threatened to tell you tonight.” He grabbed my arm and made me look at him. “Van, I am sorry, for everything. When you almost die you look back at your life and wonder if you are on the right track. I can’t keep lying. It hurts so bad right now, I’m not going to lie, but I will get over it.”

As angry and confused as I was, I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Me too.”

“Now if you all don’t mind. I would really like to be dropped off at that party. I need to forget about everything that I saw and heard tonight and I’m done with stealing cars.” Ty joked.

Was he really just going to go out and pick up someone after Colt and I broke his heart? How could I have not seen this side of him? I had been so worried about hurting him.

I turned to walk toward the truck, but Ty said something so we turned around. He was on his cell phone. “Just come back and get me. No, that isn’t an issue anymore. It doesn’t matter if you pick me up. Hurry up please.” He looked over at us. “You guys don’t have to wait. I have a ride coming.”

I looked at Colt and then back to Ty. “We will wait. Right Colt?”

Colt nodded. He started to pull me against him, but Ty held up his hand and started shaking his head. “Guys please. I have seen and heard all I can take tonight. Just wait until I pull away for shit’s sake.”

I looked at Colt and then walked over to Ty. I reached out my hand and helped him walk with the one crutch he still had against him. “We have been friends since we were little. I need to know that we are going to be okay. I know I hurt you Ty. You have no idea how bad I feel, but you hurt me too. I should have known about the other girls, but I didn’t want to believe it. I feel like such a fool.”

We were all three too drunk to be discussing any of this.

He turned to face me and moved a piece of hair out of my face. “I am an ass**le Van. For what it is worth, I will always love you. You know I told you all those stories about Colt because I wanted you to think he was the ass**le. Every girl wants him and he doesn’t even care. I figured one day he would come visit and I wanted to make sure he never had a chance.”

We both laughed. “Yeah, I wasn’t very nice to him at first. He took it really hard too. Asking me who the heck told me such crap.”

“At least it worked for a little while.” He said.

“Yeah, I guess.”

I saw a car pulling into the lot. Ty turned to me as Colt walked over with his other crutch. “I can’t believe this is really happening.” I said.

Ty took my hand and kissed it. “I always said I will give you your forever.” He pointed to Colt. “If it wasn’t for my accident you never would have found it. I love you Van. See you tomorrow.”

I held my hand up and watched as he climbed into Heather’s car. I didn’t know what hurt worse. The fact that he had cheated so many times, or that she was the one to come save the day. I turned around and saw Colt holding out his hand. I didn’t waste any time. My hand met his and we walked to the truck. I had to laugh when I got to the door and saw my underwear on the seat.