When the Music Stops (Mason Brothers Book #2)

Chapter 19

JOLIE

A few days before Christmas, Toni and I decided to throw together a little girl’s night when we found out that Mel and her boyfriend Adam would be back for Christmas. Toni’s apartment is slightly larger than mine, so we decided to host it there. Even though Eden can drink, we still made a big pitcher of margaritas and we were busy putting together a variety of meat, cheese, and veggie trays while we waited for the other two to get here.

“I don’t mean to be too nosy, but things between you and Parker and going good, right?” I know Toni walks a fine line between being my friend and Parker’s. She really looks out for all of us.

“Things are really good,” I answer honestly. “I’m still nervous about everything, but I’m glad I took the leap to be with him.”

“I’m glad you did too. I know it is none of my business, but did you tell him about, well, you know? We haven’t talked about it since that day.”

I nod, “It was hard, but I did tell him.”

‘I’m glad you did. I know you think that it is in the past, but I think it is important to be open and honest with each other.”

“It just really sucks talking about my past. That is why I hate doing it. There is a lot of hurt there, Toni.”

“I do know that and it kind of worries me how much you keep inside. We all have a past, our histories aren’t always perfect. It is part of who we are though.”

“What’s your history, Toni?” I give her a sideways glance.

“Oh, just went right for the jugular huh?”

“Well, all’s fair….”

“Yeah, yeah,” she waves me off. “I’m the product of an affair. My mom was, knowingly, sleeping with a married man when she got pregnant with me.” 

“Oh my gosh. Have you ever met him?”

“Nope. I asked my mom a hundred times about my dad growing up, but she never told me anything. When I was eighteen she had gotten home from a night of drinking with her girlfriends and I was trying to get her into bed to sleep it off and she told me just randomly.”

“What did she say, ‘Hey, I slept with a married man and he’s your dad.’”

She laughed, “That was pretty much the gist of it. I brought it up with her a few days later and she dismissed me. When I finally got her to tell me about it she told me that his wife was a nagging woman and he deserved better. She said that he was planning on leaving his wife for my mom and we were going to be a family.”

“I’m guessing that didn’t happen.”

“Nope,” she says with a bitter tone. “She claims something must have happened because he dropped off the face of the Earth. I’m guessing he got tired of her. She refused to believe that he wasn’t totally in love with her though. I just think she was delusional.”

“Do you know who he is then?”

“No, she wouldn’t tell me his name.”

“Why not? If she was so in love with him or whatever.”

Toni shrugs, “I think that deep down inside she probably knew the truth. Or she realized I thought she was a shit person for what she did and if I found him she’d be afraid I’d embarrass him or something. Which I totally would have, by the way.”

“Have you ever tried to look for him?”

“Nope. The entire situation made me sick to my stomach. That’s why I don’t date, Jolie. I don’t trust men or women. So I’ll have a hookup, I’ll have a friend with benefits, but I don’t want to be in a relationship, I don’t trust that shit.”