Uncontrollable (Key West #3) Read Online Free Page B

But truthfully, I wanted to get what had happened between me and Kade today off my chest because I felt like it was taking me over. So I told her everything that had happened during the wedding and reception. Between the tears I shed for both Kade and my stepdad, I was a mess.
    After I finished, she stood staring back at me in shock. “Wow,” she whispered.
    “Yeah, wow.” I turned to face her, my heart heavy as I leaned back against the sink. “I’m stuck in the middle, and I don’t want to be.”
    “He never should have brought it up here. It wasn’t the time or the place.” She appeared irritated.
    “I’m glad he told me. It was just a lot to take in. I wasn’t prepared to hear we had such a connection before we even met one another.” I was glad Kade had finally found the strength to open up, but I never expected to hear my dad was responsible for his heartache, and that knowledge broke my heart for the both of them.
    When we finally exited the bathroom, I realized we’d been in there for an hour and Kade was now hammered. He was hunched over at the bar, slurring his words heavily. It hurt to see him like that. I was so used to his fun-loving attitude, his playful comments, and his crazy banter.
    After I helped Jude get Kade to his car, Callie insisted I go home with her. I spent the entire night sifting through everything Kade said, over and over. His words changed everything. I now knew whenever he looked at me, he would be reminded of Robert and the accident.
    So when I was still wide awake at four thirty in the morning, staring up at Callie’s living room ceiling, I decided it was time to talk to Robert. After calling a cab and writing a quick note to Callie, I locked her door and pulled it closed behind me. As I made my way down the sidewalk toward the awaiting cab, my stomach rolled with anxiety, which only grew worse as the cab seemed to take forever to reach my parents’ house. When it finally pulled up along the curb, I handed the driver the money through the open window between the cab and the backseat and pushed open the door. With the sun barely above the horizon, I slowly walked up the path to my parents’ house. I used my key to open their front door and softly closed it behind me.
    I planned to just curl up on the couch and wait until Robert got out of bed. I didn’t expect to find my stepdad alone in the darkened sitting room just to the left of the entryway, staring into space.
    “Dad,” I whispered.
    He looked up, and I couldn’t make out his expression from the shadows in the corner where he sat. As I stepped farther into the room, he shifted slightly in his chair.
    “Avery, are you okay?” he asked as he quickly stood and took a step in my direction. “It’s so early, sweetheart. Did something happen?”
    I shook my head. “No, nothing happened. I just…” I paused, unsure of how to continue. “I, um, thought we should talk.”
    He looked back at me with a blank stare.
    “I know…about the accident,” I said.
    He stepped backward and lowered himself back into his chair. Hanging his head, he ran his fingers through his brown, wavy hair, pulling at the ends at the base of his neck.
    “It was before I met your mother,” he began. “Six months before, actually. If it wasn’t for her, I’m not sure I would have recovered from that night.” He looked up, and his gaze met mine. “That was the lowest point in my life, the darkest time. That poor girl.” His voice cracked with emotion.
    “It was an accident,” I whispered.
    “I know,” he said. “But it will never change the fact I’m responsible for Jenna’s death. She was only seventeen years old, captain of the debate team, and an honor student.” He paused, biting his upper lip. “Did you know she wanted to be a doctor?”
    The fact he knew so much about Jenna told me his remorse hadn’t faded in all these years.
    “She used to tell everyone all she wanted to do was give people back hope,” he continued.