So Wrong

I’d drunk enough to give me some courage, and though the cold prickly feeling coursing through my veins told me it wasn’t enough, it had to be done.

“Is that what you’re doing to Chloe?” I asked quietly, staring into his green eyes intently.

He grimaced and put down his fork. “Fuck, Nina, Chloe has nothing to do with this.”

“She has everything to do with this. She’s my sister and your ex-wife. She divorced you. You must be angry, and I can understand that, and I think you’re probably using me to get back at her. It’s not fair to any of us, and I don’t want to be a part of it. I’m sorry. We had a great ... an amazing night. Thank you so much for it and—”

“Shut up, Nina.” He was annoyed. “Yeah, she divorced me. I wasn’t around anymore. Do you know why? Because I didn’t care. I gave up. I didn’t love her and I couldn’t pretend as well as she could.”

I cringed hearing those words, remembering my sister’s sobs as she wondered why over and over again Patrick shut her out their last year.

“I