“Emma.”
The heartbreak ripping me to shreds is mirrored on his face as I slowly back up, but I don’t let it soften me. It’s all his fault for saying something like that. Whirling around, I scramble up the bank. Or try to. Of all the damn days for it to be so slippery.
“Emma,” he says calmly. “Come back here and let’s talk.”
“I’m going home.” I hate how my voice warbles on the last word. “You can just…just…stay here in your stupid woods since apparently you’re not my brother anymore.” Thewords cut my tongue as soon as I say them, but I swallow the guilt down because it’s too late to take them back.
Footsteps sound behind me, gaining ground. Of course he wouldn’t have as much trouble catching up with his stupid long legs. “Leave me alone,” I snap, trying to keep my voice sharp enough to hide my tears from him. “I can get home by myself. I’m not stupid.”
“I know you’re not stupid, Emma. And I’m not leaving you alone because then I can’t keep you safe.”
“Oh yeah?” I yell, whirling around. “What about the times you go camping in the woods to get rid of your nightmares instead of letting me sleep in your room with you? Or leaving town for days? That doesn’t sound like not leaving me alone. Neither does leaving Hope’s Stand for good.” He grabs my arm, but I’m ready to fight. “Don’t you touch me.”
“Let me explain,” he says with a level of patience that makes me want to hit him.
“There’s nothing to explain. I won’t believe anything you say until I talk to Momma and Papa.” With that, I yank my arm back. But he doesn’t let go, and I promptly lose my footing. “Oh!”
We both hit the ground, and for a moment, the breath is knocked out of me. No, that’s because he landed on top of me. God, he’s heavy.
“Get off me, Sullivan Shay!” Just speaking the name he says isn’t his adds to my fury. “Oh wait, I forgot that’s not even your real name.”
“I’m still a Shay, goddammit,” he bellows, finally losing his saintly calm as he pins my arms above my head. “Just be still and listen to me.”
I buck underneath him, determined to wiggle free when I begrudgingly surmise that freeing my wrists from his gripis impossible, but I don’t make any headway. Then he makes it worse by lowering his weight to force me to stop moving.
Why is he so strong? I’ve seen him without his shirt and knew he had muscles everywhere, but I do my own fair share of work around the farm, so I shouldn’t be panting like a dog while he’s not even out of breath. I renew my efforts, twisting and squirming even harder. “If you don’t let me up, I’m never speaking to you again.”
“Be reasonable, Emma.” Sullivan throws his legs over mine to stop me from using them as leverage. Then I freeze.
So does he.
Because with his legs straddling mine, there’s not much space between the rest of our bodies. I’m probably not the only one suddenly very aware of his lower half pressed to mine. And the way his eyes lock on to—I glance down, and…
Oh my.
I’m only trying to take in air, but my breasts are absolutely obscene with how they follow each rapid rise and fall of my chest.
“Sullivan?” I know my eyes must be round with shock. But his are lowered, kind of like he’s sleepy. He makes a choked sound and drags in a harsh breath as I test his grip with another halfhearted wiggle.
Even though Sully doesn’t move an inch, something between his legs definitely does.
And it’s not his belt buckle.
“Damn it.” He shoves off me and curtly says, “You shouldn’t be squirming like that.”
My mouth gapes. “Don’t you dare put the blame on me! You had no right to be on top of me. And you were looking at my…my…” I blush even thinking the word. I like the way my breasts fill out my dress. I always have, because it makes me feel like a grown woman. But now shame creeps over me when I wonder for two seconds—two seconds too long—if he liked the way they fill my dress out, too.
One big hand rakes through his hair. “Emma?—”
“Don’t,” I interrupt, full of hurt with how he sighs my name in aggravation. “I’m going home. Just…just don’t follow me.”
But of course he stays right behind me as I march all the way home, because that’s who Sullivan is. A silent, protective shadow dogging my every step. Steps that are weighed down by the heaviness of his words and the unsettling feeling of what happened with him on top of me. At least he’s smart enough to grant me silence if he won’t back down on giving me space. And of course my tears come back when I replay everything he said. How could he not be my brother? He’s in every one of my memories. And different parents? He must be crazy.
When I finally reach the house, I storm up the porch steps and throw open the door, much to my parents’ surprise.
“Emmaline darlin’, what’s wrong?” Papa comes to his feet.
Dragging a frustrated hand over my wet cheeks, I glance around to make sure Cecily is still in her room before I blurt out, “I need you to tell me one thing and one thing only. Is Sully my real brother?”
