Chapter 10
961 Words
"Don't tell me what to do!" Emily shouted. Braden heard the shout and stood up from her desk to investigate. "You are not my mom! You don't get to tell me what I am allowed and not allowed!" Something crashed and Braden hurried her steps.
"I don't want to fight with you, Em," Tanner said calmly. "But you know why I am here, and going off to visit right now is a bad idea and I can't spare someone to go with you and let the team split up."
"I'll be fine with Jo!" Her voice was shaking and Braden knew she was close to losing control of her tears. She would hate to cry in front of Tanner. She stepped into the room. "Don't pretend to care!"
"Em, that's not fair," Braden said. "What's going on?"
"I want to go spend the weekend with Jo."
"Honey, you know right now that's not possible. Dylan won't be able to go with you."
"We will be fine. I need to get out."
"It's not possible," Tanner said.
"Stay out of this!" Emily snapped.
"Emily, that's enough. You can't go. You know this already, so why are you pushing?" Braden sat on the chair opposite Emily.
"Why are you taking her side?" Emily sniffed, then glared at Tanner. "She is not my mom!"
Tanner flinched, then spotted Dylan in the doorway. She called Tanner over and leaned in close. "I can ask Jo to come here, and spend time with Emily."
"Would she do that? She would be in danger here."
"She would, for Emily." Dylan shrugged. "Jo can take care of herself."
"Em, I'm going to ask Jo to come visit, is that okay?" Dylan spoke up.
"I guess," Emily said.
"Okay, give me a second." She pulled her phone out and waited. "Hey babe." She smiled as she listened. "Yes, I am, but I do have a favor to ask." She waited again. "Yes, uh, sure." A blush made her cheeks flame. "Would you be interested in coming to visit Em?" She nodded as she listened again. "Okay, I'll call you with the arrangements. I love you." She smiled over at Emily as she turned. "She's going to be here tomorrow."
"Thanks, Dyl." Emily shoved passed Braden and hugged Dylan.
"Now, I think you know you owe Tanner an apology," Dylan said, and Braden nodded in agreement.
Tanner held up her hand. "No, I could have handled it better, I'm sorry." She smiled at Emily, nodded to Braden, then Dylan, and left the room.
"I don't care what she says, you need to go apologise," Braden said. "Shouting at her, and throwing the past in her face was not fair."
"She's not my mom, she stopped being a mom when she left me." Emily sniffed and hugged Dylan closer. "I'm sorry if that hurts her, but it is the truth."
"Em, can I have a moment with Braden?" Dylan asked.
"Fine." She wiped her eyes and left them alone.
"One of you needs to tell her what happened." Dylan shook her head when Braden started to speak. "I know it's hard on all of you, but she's the kid here, and she believes her mother left her, and didn't want her. That's worse than her knowing the truth. She has a right to know that Tanner had little choice in what happened that night. Allowing Emily to punish Tanner for what happened is what's unfair. She's reacting to a situation she was made to believe."
"I know." Braden dropped her head in her hands.
"And you need to forgive yourself. All of you need healing, and not talking about the past is not healthy for any of you." She broke protocol and walked to where Braden sat and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to step into a friend zone here and tell you any i***t can see you still love her. The distance between you is hurting you and her and Emily. Fix this. Step up and fix this."
Braden let out a laugh. "I can see why Emily loves you and why you can talk her down when I can't." She sighed. Everything you're saying is true. I just wish I knew where to start."
"Easy, start with forgiving yourself. And then talk to Emily and Tanner."
"Thank you, Dylan."
"Anytime." She squeezed Braden's shoulder and smiled.
"Tan, we need to stop this." Braden lay spent in Tanner's arms. "If Amanda finds out or the press, we will both be dead."
"I know. I just can't help it, I love you, I want what I have with Amanda, but with you." Tanner sighed. "Things are so f****d up."
"Emily deserves both of you, all of you." Braden kissed her bare shoulder and sat up. "This has to be the last time."
"Brad, wait, I hear you, but let's just talk okay." She sat up and ignored the sheet that fell from her bare breasts. "We made a plan, remember, I'll file for divorce, so will you, and when we are free, we will get married, and be together."
Braden thought back to that moment, how easy Tanner had made it seem. If she'd been brave enough to take the step to be with Tanner, maybe this whole mess would never have happened. She shook her head, so many 'ifs' and so many hearts broken. Was Dylan right? Could they maybe start healing if the truth was out there and they all faced it together?
"What do you have to forgive yourself for? And what does Dylan mean you have to tell me the truth about Tanner leaving?" Emily stood in the doorway, her eyes locked on Braden and confusion and anger fighting for dominance in her eyes.
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