“Jacob!” Kallie shrieks, and it takes me a second to realize that he hit me. After tasting the blood in my mouth, I reach up with my hand and wipe away a trickle of blood with my thumb.

I look down at my hand and then back up at my best friend. Savannah’s still crying silently. I turn back to look at Jacob. “She isn’t worth it.” The sound of Savannah’s gasp fills the room, and now when I look over at her, she looks down and then up. She never says a word. Instead, she turns and walks out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

“You son of a bitch,” Jacob hisses. “You stupid son of a bitch.” I feel numb, completely numb. I pick up the bottle of whiskey and take three long gulps, only stopping when the burning gets to my stomach and it feels like there is a fire there. I don’t know if it’s from the whiskey or if it’s because I just lost the woman I love. I slump into the chair, gripping the bottle tightly.

“How could you do that to her?’ he asks. I wonder if he’s for real right now. “Do you know what you just did?”

“Me?” I point at myself. “What I did? I did nothing.”

“You just shit all over Savannah,” Kallie says, and my eyes fly to hers.

“Out of everyone in this room, I’m surprised you’re sticking up for her.” I take another gulp. “She ruined your life.”

“She is Ethan’s mother,” Kallie says, walking toward me and the big brown desk that held all these secrets.

“And God knows who the real father really is.” When I look into Jacob’s eyes, Casey shoots his arm out to stop Jacob from charging over to me.

Jacob looks down and then up. “It just goes to show the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

I look straight into his eyes when I say the next words, coming out before I can stop them. “Isn’t that the truth. Like mother, like daughter.”

He shakes his head, then over at Kallie. “Let’s go.” He turns and walks out of the room with Kallie right behind him.

“You better get your head out of your ass and go after her,” Casey says. Turning, he grabs Olivia’s hand and walks out of the room, then closes the door behind him. I look down at the paper I still have gripped in my hand and read the words over and over again until they are blurred from my tears.