Key To Your Heart

Final Chapter

Roseanne

I felt immense relief when my brother texted me to confirm he was free and not charged with anything. And then I got another one.

Heading home. See you soon.

Home. She says it like we share the same one.

I'm staring at Lisa's words when her mom blurts out, "She's a total goner for you. Whatever the reason I'm picking you up without her, I hope you know that."

I roll my eyes over to Dr. Malee Manoban as we approach Rose Valley.

Yeah, I called her mom. First, I love Malee and I knew she'd come. Second, this seems suitably embarrassing to Lisa for being such a royal dumbass.

Such a dumbass that her mom had to come clean up her mess.

I suffered through a few long-ass hours of small talk and then she drops that on me right as we hit the town outskirts.

Swallowing, I turn in the passenger seat to face her. "Malee, I adore you, and I respect your insight and knowledge on relationships and how important it is to pee after sex. And I won't even lie and pretend it wasn't a petty part of me that chose to call you knowing it would piss Lisa off. But my brattiness has some limits, and divulging information to you about Lisa and me is one of them."

The skin beside Malee's eyes crinkles, and her lips tug into a very full smile as her hands twist on the steering wheel. "That was the right answer."

My brows furrow, and I stare a little harder at the woman beside me.

And like she can feel me considering her, she talks again. "Lisa needs someone who puts her first, even when they're pissed off at her. And I can tell you're pissed off. Been watching you stew for hours. And you deserve that from her, too. That privacy."

I almost roll my eyes and tell her she should have this conversation with her daughter, but she keeps monologuing before I get the chance.

"I've been with her dad for decades and decades. And that man has infuriated me from time to time. But being in the spotlight is hard, and he and I made a promise to keep certain things between us. Because when you love someone, and you share the mistakes they've made with people who don't love them the way you do, you can't expect those same people to forgive them the way you do either. You can't unsay those things or undo that damage."

I flop back, letting out a heavy sigh. "That's really fucking wise, Malee."

She chuckles and flicks her signal. "I went to school for a long time, been married to a Lance Manoban for even longer. Seems like I should have figured out a thing or two by now."

"Are all Manobans this... frustrating?"

"I'm afraid Lance comes from a long line of frustrating boy firstborns with names that starts with L. Then came Lisa, a daughter, we still named her with a L. It's fitting, don't you think?"

"Well, if we have a boy, I refuse to name him that."

Then I start and turn wide eyes on her. Fuck. That was an obnoxious slip of the tongue.

The car is quiet for a few beats, and then we both burst out laughing.

"God." I scrub a hand over my face. "You gonna take back that part about me protecting our privacy?"

"No." Malee is grinning like a lunatic as we turn onto my family's plot of land. "But I am going to take that slipup to mean you two are going to be all right."

She parks in front of my brother's house, and I sigh, reaching to unbuckle myself. "Yeah. I'll forgive her. Don't worry. Thank you for the ride-I really owe you one."