TouchDown- book one The Bradford Series

Chapter 33

It occurred to me then why Mom has done what she has. "So Grandma pushed a prenup? If Mom leaves or what cheats, lies, steals from him, she gets nothing? Is that why she took Dad's side? What happens to him then cause he's done all that?"

"It didn't apply to him. It's not fair and I don't agree with it but that's how Dad set it up." Blake rubs his hand through his hair in frustration.

Cursing furiously looking around the room trying to make some sense of it all but I can't. I can't believe Dad agreed to this. No, that's not true. I can believe it and that's what sucks about it. I can see him doing exactly this.

"It was before I got involved in the business Aiden. I was still in college and honestly I was paying more attention to football and girls than I was to what my brother was doing. I'm sorry and I'm trying to help Chloe as best I can." Blake tries to assure me he's cleaning up Dad's mess but he shouldn't have to. This is Dad's fault not Blake's.

The idea that Mom gets nothing for putting up with Dad's crap, pisses me off. Mom had no choice but to stand by and watch Dad dick around on her. "She couldn't fight when he cheated on her? When she found out he lied to the family, cheated us all? And Grandma knew this and allowed it?"

"Probably." Blake struggled to answer me. "Dad forced the prenup but Ma knew about it. It was insurance, peace of mind for Dad and Adam, I guess. Ma has told Chloe, she would be taken care of. She wouldn't enforce the prenup. Chloe didn't believe her, or me. She made her choice a long time ago, Aiden. She's scared of losing everything."

"I would have helped her. If she just supported me, and Riley! I would have made sure Mom was okay." I angrily admit. Despite everything she's my mom. I love her. And that's because of the morals that were drilled into me.

"Ma told Chloe to file for divorce. She has to testify against Adam but she'd be free. Cade's going to handle it. She's leaving your dad. We'll make sure she's on her feet. But it'd be better if you were there for her." This hits me like a rock to the head.

My parents are getting divorced. Not that I blame her. I encouraged her to do just this years ago but she refused. I didn't understand why she would stick around with Dad being such a dick. Now I know. Maybe if Grandma had known everything back then she would have supported Mom more.

"Think about it, Aiden. And talk to Riley. Ma will find a way to get Riley that scholarship one way or another." Blake squeezes my shoulders and gets up. Heading back to Jim as Jake comes out.

Jake strolls out of the double doors, his head down and the impact of what's happening hits me. This is worse than we thought. Knowing Grandma she forced the doctors to not tell us everything. She's never liked being seen as weak or helpless.

We all gathered closer, listening to the news on Grandma. Jake looks pale, a little upset making all of us concerned instantly. As I join the circle, Sawyer hangs an arm over one shoulder and Hunter hugs me on the other side. My support system, my family. I couldn't have faced half of what I have without them. Losing my family would kill me. It would kill Mom, no matter how distant we are right now.

"Jake? What happened?" Blake's voice was shaky at best. Very different from what it was a minute ago.

Jake scrubs his face and swallows hard. "First thing, Georgia is as strong and stubborn as they come. She's holding on. There were a couple close moments in there Grace and I got worried she wasn't going to make it."

Blake shuddered out a long breath as did the rest of us. This surgery isn't as easy as she made it sound. "But she's okay, right? Ma's okay?"

He's scared. I've never seen Blake scared of anything, but this has him scared. Emma too. And these two have been through hell and back to be together. I can't think of anything that would rattle them more than losing Grandma. That has all of us rattled.