“I understand why you’d be hurt, Matt. And I think Tate does too. But you’re going to have trouble getting past her siblings who’re all going to gang up to protect her from any perceived threat, you included. We’d do it in their place. I see their perspective very well. Cassie told me Tate walked past her and into her bedroom after you left, like there was nothing left to her.”

“Damn it. Okay, okay. I shouldn’t have left but…”

“But you felt like a failure for not protecting her. So you gathered up all your righteous indignation that she hadn’t told you so you didn’t have to feel like you’d failed the person who matters most.”

Matt licked his lips as he turned down their street. “Yes. Shane, she’s so small, she’s mine to protect and cherish and I didn’t. And she didn’t trust me to.”

“Do you really think that? Do you really think this was about her not trusting you to protect her? I’m not saying you don’t have the right to be mad that she kept it to herself, I see why you are. But it’s who she is. She’s going to choose to take on burdens to protect people she loves. You knew that going in, Matt. If you can’t handle that or this messed up family situation get out now. It’s unfair to keep going with this relationship if something like this is enough to break you up.

“Worse things will happen. Loving someone means they can get to you in ways no one else can. There are going to be times you’re so pissed off at her you want to rip your hair out, where you have to leave before you say something that’ll hurt her. But you do leave, or you do take a deep breath and go get a soda because you’d rather hold back than harm her. That’s what love is. And until I was with Cassie, no one meant that much to me other than my family.”

“I don’t want to leave her. I love her. I love being with her. I don’t know what to think or feel or do. I’ve never felt so f**king scared in my life other than when I first got to the hospital in July when that bastard put her there. I wanted to be the one she turned to, the strong one. And when she did turn to me I ran. Fuck.”

Shane snorted softly. “You’ll both get over it. You’ll work it out and the next fight y’all have you won’t turn tail, although you’ll make new mistakes because that’s the way of it. It’s not earth shattering. You had a fight. It happens. Now go in there and fix it because make up sex is the best.”

Laughing, Matt pulled into the driveway and saw boxes of stuff stood on the porch and Tim sat out there with Beth.

“You need to grab your shit and go. We’ll pay you back for the renovation when we can.” Tim blocked the door.

“This is my house. I’m going in, Tim.”

“No you’re not. You’ve done enough damage.” Beth shook her head at him.

“You’re just making things worse. Come on, you know I love Tate. This is a huge overreaction.”

“Overreaction? And you’d know this because you saw the damage you did first hand? Oh, no you couldn’t have because you were off at your little bar drinking and looking at chicks.” Beth’s eyes narrowed.

“I wasn’t looking at anyone. I’d never do that to Tate, and I’m not interested in looking at other women. Don’t mistake me for your father either. I had a beer, most of it I didn’t drink because Nathan tossed it in my face.”

“You’re right, the running off when things got hard thing is more like my mother. Hit the road.” Matt hated it that Tim was so mad. He’d always considered Tim his greatest ally with Tate.

“Actually, this is his place of residence so he has a right to go inside, Tim.” Shane, thank God Shane was there.

“I see, you’re going to use the sheriff in your pocket to hurt my sister now?”

“Oh stuff it!” Cassie pushed her way past. “This has gone on long enough. Tate is worked into a frenzy in there and none of you are helping!”

“Of course you’d take his side.”

“This isn’t about sides! All of you get the hell out of here.” Tate thundered out onto the porch, anger sparking in her eyes. She looked at her siblings and then Matt. “All of you. I want to be alone and I don’t need or want anyone speaking for me, thinking for me or taking responsibility for me. How dare you all pack Matt’s things and make that choice for him and for me.”

Matt nodded. “They’re just trying to help, Venus. They love you.”

“And you! You don’t know a damned thing about it.” She pushed Anne gently but firmly out and slammed the door, locking it. “None of you has the right!” she yelled from the other side of the closed door and turned out the porch light.

They all began to argue until Shane’s cell phone rang. He answered, listened and started laughing as he snapped the phone shut.

“That was Tate Murphy, she’s called the sheriff to file a noise complaint about a public nuisance in her front yard.”

Matt scrubbed hands over his face. This had all spun out of control so fast. He didn’t want to be arguing on her, their lawn, he wanted to be inside, holding his woman.

“Y’all go on home. I mean it. I’m going in there to work this out with Tate. If you love her like you say you do, you’ll know she loves me and I love her too. We’re gonna have arguments and she’s going to be hurt and I’m going to be hurt. That’s natural and normal and truly, no one deserves normal more than Tate. So go. Please. I’m sorry I’ve upset you all and we can all work this out later but Tate is in there alone right now.” Matt sighed as he looked at the front of the house.