I watched Cole bite down on his grin. “Sure, Ava,” he said with irony. “Whatever you say.”
Ava huffed, ignoring him as well as anyone could ignore Cole. One of her hands still gripped mine, but with the other, she tipped up her palm and swept it in front of her. “Well, obviously, this is the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Formal dining,” she said with a tease in her voice as she pointed to the table for six, “and casual dining…” She waved her hand Vanna White-style at the breakfast bar and stools that partitioned off the kitchen.
The countertops were a granite that reminded me of oatmeal and brown sugar. The sink where Cole now filled his pasta pot overlooked the living area with a dishwasher to his right and lower cabinets to his left. Behind him was the stove, upper and lower cabinets, a tall, double-door pantry on one end and the refrigerator on the other. The kitchen wasn’t huge, but it was well-designed, obviously updated with new fixtures and appliances, and the space was clean and welcoming.
It was nothing like the house they’d grown up in. And it was perfect.
“I love it,” I said, honestly.
Cole shut off the faucet and flashed me a grin. “I’m glad,” he murmured. “It feels like home.”
And immediately, I knew what he meant. Not like the old home. But likea home.Maybe their first home.
“C’mon,” Ava said, tugging me beyond the kitchen. She waved her hand to the doors on the right. “Hall bathroom and laundry are here. Cole’s home office is here…” She pushed open the door to the right and flipped on the light switch, but she barely gave me enough time to take in the standing desk, bookshelves, and file cabinet before she led me on.
“Guest room,” she said, waving to a room on her left, and then she tugged me inside the next door on the right. “And this is my room.”
She shut the door behind us, which I thought was odd, but I passed my eyes over the warm wheat and sable decor.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
“Sure,” Ava said, dismissively, then she pointed to the upholstered bench at the foot of her bed. “Sit down. We need to talk.”
I stood frozen for a second, startled at the turn her tour had taken. “About what?”
Ava flopped down on the bench, rolling her eyes. “About Cole, of course.”
Of course.
I sat, planting my hands on my knees and bracing myself for who knew what.
Ava studied me for about ten seconds in silence. It was a little weird.
“Thank you for coming tonight,” she said finally.
So far, the evening had been emotional, intense, even awkward, but I didn’t regret coming. “I’m glad to be here,” I admitted.
Ava nodded, and I watched her swallow. “Cole wouldn’t let me see the letters he wrote to you, but I know the gist of what he said.” A little frown creased her brow. It made her look more like her brother. “Everything he told you about him — about me — was the truth. I’ve stolen years from him.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think he sees it like that—”
“That’s how I see it,” she said flatly. “If there was a way I could go back and make things right, I’d do it…”
She pulled in a deep breath through her nose and let her gaze fall to the floor. Regret seemed to age her right before my eyes. “…but that’s not possible. So, I’m doing my best to get it right this time.” Ava lifted her eyes to mine. “But my brother needs more than just my recovery.”
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
My hands were still pressed to my knees, and Ava lifted one of hers and placed it on one of mine. “He deserves to be happy. He deserves to be free from worrying about me.” She arched a brow as though this were an understatement. “But he also deserves to have someone worry about him for a change.”
I felt my eyebrows climb at this. Was she interviewing me for the position? “Ava, what are you trying to say?”
She gave me a no-nonsense stare. “The chemistry between you two is like a freakin’ riptide. You couldn’t fight it if you tried—”
“Ava!” I jumped to my feet, my face nearly igniting. “I haven’t seen him since I was ateenager.”
She tilted her head, looking unimpressed. “Are you denying that you’re still attracted to him?”
“I— Wh— I—” I sounded like I was having a stroke. Maybe I was having a stroke.
