Page 83 of Knot a Bad Idea

Anxiety churns in my gut, but I tell myself I’m not the reason for their argument.

They’re both adults, and not everything is about me.

I’m usually the one reminding Skylar of that every time she thinks someone is in a bad mood. She assumes it’s her fault, and I’ve spentyearsof my life telling her she’s not responsible for other people’s emotions.

But still, it feels like Liam and Donovan’s disagreement might have something to do with me.

You’re ruining their pack.

I want to have the conversation with Donovan as soon as possible. I want to give him the answer I couldn’t give him last night, but I want to do it in person, not via text or phone.

“Should we wait for him for dinner?” I ask carefully.

Hunter rolls his eyes. “Nah. I’m sure he’ll come out of sulking when he’s ready.”

But I can’t but feel that something is wrong, and putting off telling him will only make things worse.

“No one’s wanted to try, April. No one has bothered to try.”

His desperate words from last night play in my head, and I let out a shaky breath.

“He’s at the office,” Liam says finally, noticing the worry on my face. “You don’t need to wait for him, April.”

I can’t help but sense a double meaning in his words, but I nod and give Liam a soft smile anyway.

Dinner is delicious.

I don’t know how Liam and Hunter mastered the art of cooking until Hunter pipes up in between mouthfuls of food.

“It’s actually Donovan’s mom’s recipe,” he says. “She used to make it for us all the time after school.”

It’s a simple meal, pork meatballs with egg noodles in a creamy mushroom sauce, but it’s just the right amount of savory and buttery.

“She was a great cook,” Liam adds as an afterthought.

I cock my head slightly at his verbiage. “Was?”

Hunter makes a face. “Yeah, she died a while ago. Aggressive cancer. It was awful.”

Liam’s expression matches Hunter’s. “Donovan did everything he could to help,” he murmurs. “He was flying her around theworldto meet with the best doctors and try different treatments. Nothing worked.”

“It was fucking horrible,” Hunter adds. “She was always there for us. She was dealt a shitty hand when Donovan was growing up, and the minute he could, he bought her a home and paid off all her debts. But this was the one thing he couldn’t do for her.”

My conversation with Donovan in the gazebo suddenly makes sense.

“I can’t save you, April. I can’t save anyone.”

“That’s horrible,” I whisper.

“He’s always been an asshole,” Hunter says. “But after she died, he just became insufferable.”

I chew my food in silence, processing their words.

“I wish he had told me,” I murmur after a moment.

Hunter snorts. “Yeah, life would be easier that way,” he sighs. “Life would be a lot easier for all of us.”

It doesn’t excuse Donovan’s behavior, but it’s starting to make sense.