When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 186

Jonah lounged against the wall, watching Brody with that annoyingly calm look he always had. He brushed his fingers over his mouth, then let his hand drop lightly onto Nelly’s shoulder. He didn’t need to pull a face. Everything in his body language was pure gasoline on a fire.

Nelly knew exactly what Jonah was doing, and she wasn’t in the mood to play along. She shifted out of his reach. “I’m tired. I want to go home.”

She’d acted on instinct earlier, jumping in to defend Jonah, but she realized now that Brody couldn’t actually do anything to him. The truth was, her being here was what set everything off. Jonah was worried about her, and Brody was never the type to just let things go.

But when Nelly tried to leave, Brody caught her hand, refusing to budge. “We’re going home,” he said, his grip tight and determined.

Jonah didn’t move aside. Instead, he stepped directly in front of Nelly, blocking Brody’s way. “Mr. Garland, forcing someone to do things isn’t cool.”

Jonah’s voice was steady, but every word hit hard.

Brody’s mouth curled into a cold smile. “This is between family. You should stay out of it.”

The tension felt like it could snap at any second. Nelly wrenched her hand out of Brody’s grasp and stepped back, wanting to yell at him. Instead, she took a sharp breath and started coughing hard. She doubled over, clutching her chest as pain sliced through her throat.

Brody and Jonah both turned to her instantly.

“What’s going on...”

“You shouldn’t be standing out here in the wind. I’ll take you upstairs,”

Brody’s eyes flickered with surprise.

He’d been so angry, he hadn’t noticed how bad Nelly looked. Her face was flushed and her hair was still damp. Something was off, but before he could do anything, Jonah was already at her side.

Nelly nodded, her hand over her mouth, and let Jonah lead her away.

“Nelly!”

Brody’s voice was low and rough, but she didn’t look back. He felt completely stuck, like his feet were glued to the ground. He wanted nothing more than to pull her away from Jonah, but he just couldn’t move.

He stood there, frozen, until Nelly and Jonah vanished from sight. Only then did a wave of cold wash over him, creeping from his chest all the way to his fingertips.

“You don’t have to worry about me. If Brody keeps messing with you, I won’t hold back next time… unless, you’re still not over him?”

Jonah hesitated before finishing his thought.

Nelly paused, searching for the right words. “No, I’m not. I mean, I’ve made my choice. I’m not going back to Brody.” She hesitated, then gave a small shrug. But she’d be lying if she said she didn’t feel anything at all. He’s been showing up so much lately, it’s been messing with her head.

“Even if you’re over him, Brody might not be over you. The way he looked at you today, I think he finally cares.”

Jonah could see it—Nelly wasn’t as angry or sure as she’d been when they first met. The hardness in her eyes had softened.

Nelly laughed. “You’re reading too much into it, Jonah. There’s only one person Brody cares about, and it’s not me.” If it was, he wouldn’t have been so indifferent to her all these years.

Brody could deny his thing with Sheila all he wanted, but Nelly knew the truth.

Jonah didn’t keep arguing, but he clearly didn’t agree. He didn’t know about Brody’s feelings for other women, but today, he’d seen the hurt in Brody’s eyes. Brody’s proud and stubborn, and after so many years of being the one in control, how could he just stand aside and watch someone else take Nelly away?