The Heart Left Behind (Cole and Yvonne) novel Chapter 45

I gently ruffled Jonas' hair and asked, testing the waters, "Jonas, why do you care so much about your brother? He's always picking on you."

I swear I wasn't trying to drive a wedge between them—I just wanted Jonas to be a little more cautious.

"Because he's my brother," he replied simply.

That was it? Just that?

I wanted to ask more, but the unwavering sincerity in his eyes stopped me. Jonas was so kindhearted. No matter how Xavier treated him, he would never act like Xavier, who was always looking for ways to stir up trouble.

How could two kids raised in the same family turn out so differently? Xavier was a handful, plain and simple.

The sound of a door opening pulled me from my thoughts. Yvonne entered with Xavier by her side, the two walking closely together. From the mirror, I caught a glimpse of them—Xavier's eyes were puffy and red like he had just finished crying.

"Why did you guys get back so soon?" I asked, keeping my tone light for Jonas' sake. I didn't want to make things uncomfortable in front of him. He deserved parents who didn't argue every time they met.

"Are you packing?" Yvonne asked, her sharp eyes immediately picking up on my movements. After living together for so long, she could read me like a book.

"It's none of your business," I said curtly, grabbing my clothes and heading for the door.

As I passed by them, I couldn't help but throw a warning her way. "Don't let Xavier bully Jonas." Jonas was soft-hearted and always willing to give in. But I wasn't the type of dad to turn a blind eye.

Yvonne raised an eyebrow. "You care so much about Jonas. Have you ever thought about how Xavier feels?"

I followed her gaze toward Xavier, whose eyes were now even redder. I couldn't tell if he was still upset from earlier or if her words had triggered something. It was probably the former, but I wasn't about to dwell on it.

When I turned around, I nearly tripped over my own feet. She had just gotten out of the shower, her damp hair framing her flushed face. A light pink towel was wrapped snugly around her, and a faint trace of steam followed her out of the room.

"I heard your door close ages ago. Why didn't you come in?" she asked, tilting her head.

She had heard? That meant she had heard everything—including what I had said to Yvonne.

"This place has terrible soundproofing!" I stammered, scratching the back of my head. I'd been so confident earlier, telling her there wouldn't be any drama. Now, here I was, not even sure where I stood with her, and my ex-wife had even barged into the picture.

"You don't need to feel awkward," Lorraine said with a small smile, her voice warm and understanding. "I get it."

Man, she really was just out of college. She was so laidback about everything!