Some truth

Scott got Jenn home, then drove to the Carter’s house, changing clothes quickly, and for once he got out without interacting with anyone.

He drove Bob’s car to the shop, and no sooner had he started to work then Bob came into the garage.

“Hey Scott, you get your cousin’s truck tuned up?”

“Yeah, it’s ready to go.”

“Good, she’s coming to pick it up. Everything good there?”

“Yeah I think so.”

“How’s Jenn, she never calls off work, I thought it might be bad.”

“No, things are good. I can’t go into detail Bob, that’d be up to Jenn to tell you.”

“Kids.” He said, then turned to go back into the shop.

Lydia showed up well before lunch time, with a friend of hers from work.

“Hey Scott, get out here.” Bob called over the intercom.

Scott walked out to see Lydia and her friend.

“Hey Lyds.”

“Scott, you got my truck running right?”

“Absolutely.”

“You better, for what this guy is charging me.”

“Hey, I gave you a family discount, any lower and I wouldn’t be able to pay Scott.”

“Sounds fine to me.” Lydia said smiling at Bob, leaning towards him.

“Don’t you try that with me girl, I’m too old to be swayed by a pretty face.”

Lydia laughed. “I should have come by when I didn’t have scrubs on.”

“Hey, what did you do to my daughter yesterday, Scott says things are good between you but she called off work today, she never does that.”

Lydia looked to Scott, he just smiled. Lydia’s friend laughed.

“I’m sorry Bob, some things a lady can’t tell.” She leaned towards him and winked as she said it.

Bob turned red, and in a rare moment, was speechless.

“Hey Lydia, can you give me a ride to the Stable, I left my bike there.”

“Sure thing Scott.”

“Is it okay to take an early lunch Bob?”

Bob just nodded.

“I think you broke that man.” Lydia’s friend said once they left the shop.

“I think you broke his daughter.” Scott said.

“What’d you do Lydia?” her friend asked, grinning.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Lydia said, she wasn’t smiling.

Her friend was taken aback, Scott was too, it wasn’t like Lydia to be quiet about sex.

When they got in her truck Scott asked her about it.

“Scott, that wasn’t fun for me.”

“What do you mean? You seemed into it the whole time.”

“Look, Jenn was a mess about the two of us, comparing herself to me, worried you would ditch her or cheat on her if I wanted you to.”

“I know you wouldn’t. . .”

“Please don’t interrupt.”

Lydia was serious, really serious. Scott closed his mouth and just listened.

“When she offered her solution, she was drunk, but she was also ****. I had to do it, she couldn’t move past what we’ve done.”

“Are you saying you did all that for me?”

“Weird to say huh? I messed up your relationship with the girl you love. I couldn’t do that to you, I couldn’t be the reason you and Jenn failed.”

“So you fucked her.”

“Shit, I fucked her royally Scott, she needed a night that would give her an excuse for you, for why you would come back after I hurt you.”

“Well you delivered, and I think it worked.”

“You guys are good?”

“Yeah, I mean she couldn’t walk right this morning, but her and I are in a better place now, thanks to you.”

“You know what bothers me the most about it Scott?”

“What?”

“I fucked your girl better than I ever fucked you.”

Scott laughed, “That’s probably for the best, if you did something like that to me, I might never have gotten over you.”

Lydia’s face fell. “Don’t tease me like that Scott.”

“I’m sorry Lydia, seriously. I never knew you wanted anything serious. You always acted like you didn’t care.”

“And if I had told you? If I had let you know how I really felt?”

Scott couldn’t answer, even now, knowing Lydia’s feelings, it didn’t change how he saw her, didn’t make her a real option, someone he could settle down with and live with for the rest of his life, he just couldn’t see her like that. She was family, and as weird as it was to say that about someone you’ve had a lot of sex with, a real relationship just didn’t seem like an option.

“I’m sorry Lydia.”

“I know Scott, really. I want you and Jenn to work out, go be happy, at least one person in this fucked up family needs to be happy.”

Lydia pulled her truck into the parking lot of the Stable.

“Lydia. . .” Scott was heartbroken for Lydia, he knew how she was feeling, and it killed him that he was the cause of it.

“Don’t worry about me Scott, you know me, I’ll mope for a few days, then I’ll be fine.”

“Will I see you on Saturday?”

“Yeah, for a bit at least. Bring Jenn, Martha will be thrilled and Angel won’t know what to do.”

“Lydia, I. . .”

“Scott, get out of my truck, and go back to work.”

“Okay.” Scott said and got out. As soon as he closed the door Lydia pulled out and drove off.

He watched her go. He had always seen her as a threat, someone that could hurt him, that had hurt him. And now, after he suspected she was scheming to mess up his relationship with Jenn, she actually saved it. Lydia had given him a real chance to be happy with the woman he loved. He didn’t know how to feel.

He gave Audrey a while to warm up, sitting in the bar parking lot, thinking about the choices he’d made that led him to this moment, and how he had misjudged his own cousin.

The rest of the work day passed quickly, Scott closed up the garage and headed to see Jenn. He was curious to see how she felt about last night when she had sobered up and recovered.

He pulled into her driveway and saw her waiting on the steps. When he stopped and got off his bike she walked out to meet him.

“Hey Jenn.” He said, not knowing what was about to happen.