Hot as Hall

Chapter Thirty Two

Tanner

I hear the words coming out of James' mouth, but I don't comprehend them at first. Broke her window? Is he saying...

"You... you're the one who broke into my house?" Zoe stutters, putting words to what we're both thinking.

Another eye roll. "Took you long enough."

Anger washes over me. It's not even about Zoe, but the fact that I raised him better than that. Property destruction is no small thing, and he absolutely knows better. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out there's something deeper going on, but that's no excuse.

"For your sake, I hope that you're kidding." I clench my jaw, trying not to explode. "Explain, now."

For the slightest second, James's resolve fades as his eyes meet mine and he sees how furious I am. "I just wanted her to leave you alone so you and mom could get back together. I thought..." He trails off, eyes filling up with tears.

His words feel like a punch to the gut, sucking the air from my lungs and leaving me spinning. A tornado of anger and heartbreak and confusion wreaks havoc on my mind as the three of us stand in my foyer in complete silence. There is no doubt in my mind that Gwen planted this seed and I don't have the slightest idea how I'm supposed to unravel the mess it's created.

"Go upstairs, James. I'll be up to talk to you in a few minutes."

He nods, turning before anyone can say another word.

"Zoe, I'm so sorry. I don't even know what to say." I rake my fingers through my hair, letting out a heavy breath. "I promise you, I'm going to take care of it. We'll pay for all the repairs and..."

"Tanner, stop." She cuts me off, reaching for my hand. "You don't need to apologize. He's going through a lot, and it's tough for anyone to process, let alone a kid his age. Don't be too hard on him."

I open my mouth to speak, but I don't know what to say at this point. Zoe's almost too understanding, considering my son threw a brick through her living room windows and has had her on edge the last several days.

"Just go talk to him. He really needs his dad right now." A soft smile pulls at her lips as she sweeps a kiss across my cheek. "Thank you for dinner. I'll talk to you in the morning."

We say our goodbyes, and I take my time locking up the house after Zoe leaves, trying to sort out my thoughts before I talk to James. His admission hit me like a brick wall and I'm still having trouble making sense of it. Gwen and I split years ago, and not once has James made it a big deal. Unlike Lucas, he was old enough to understand our divorce and, unfortunately, he had a front to seat to watch us deteriorate over the years. This feels like its coming out of nowhere, but I know better than that. It came from Gwen, in some form or another, and now I have to straighten it out. Who knows what idealistic plans she's been filling his head with for the last few weeks?

As I walk up the stairs, I can't help but think about how different James is than I was at his age. I was chaotic and rowdy and said whatever was on my mind—much to my demise, most of the time. James, on the other hand... he's so put together and more mature than I could have even dreamed of as a teenager. He wants to be tough, but he's really a sensitive, quiet soul and so I know that something must really be bothering him for him to speak his mind that way.

The door to his room is shut, and I knock before going in. He lays with his back to me, facing the window in the darkness. It's quiet, the only sound being the hum and occasional click of the ceiling fan. I walk around to the far side of his room, turning the switch of the lamp and sitting in the chair next to the wall.