“This would be why I moved to California,” she says dryly. “In hopes it’d keep my psychotic older brother at bay.”
“I prefer protective older brother.”
“You know, the older I get the more I realize our entire family really is screwed up. That includes our mother, by the way. She’s been texting me those glittery GIFs with Bible verses about forgiveness again.”
I shake my head and pinch the bridge of my nose, hardly surprised. “That… sounds about right.”
“I’ve been ignoring them, but she sent another one this morning. I’m one more sparkly proverb away from blocking her number.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“Don’t bother. It won’t change anything,” she says bluntly. Almost as blunt as I am. “Youknowit’s not going to change anything. Not on her end or mine. I’m never going to forgive him, Killian.”
“You know I agree with you.” Tension pulses through my jaw as my mind wanders to the image of our old man slumped in his recliner, vacant eyes set on the TV. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s dead to me.”
“Good. Then we’re on the same page.”
A second or two of heavy silence passes, both of us wellaware of our shared trauma. The things we endured growing up that only made us closer.
Then Maeve clears her throat and says, “Anyway, enough about our fucked-up family. How’s your life? Found a girlfriend yet?”
I scowl to myself as if she can see me. “Why do you always ask that?”
“Because I think you deserve a nice girl. Someone real, not one of those groupies who’s always hanging around after your fights trying to get you to fuck them.”
“Language!”
“Ha!” she answers. “That’s rich coming from you. Every other word is an F bomb.”
“But you’re…”
…my baby sister.
I heave a deep breath, reminding myself Maeve’s a woman. She’s married and has her own life. She’s no longer the small innocent girl who’d come to me when she skinned her knee.
Which is also probably why I should be honest with her.
“There… might be a girl,” I say slowly. “Someone new in my life anyway.”
“WHAT?” Maeve shrieks. “Tell me everything immediately!”
“Calm down?—”
“I will not calm down! My emotionally constipated brother admitted he has feelings for someone!”
“I never said anything about feelings.”
“Who is she? What’s her name? How did you meet?” she rattles off from her end of the phone. “Is she pretty? Is she nice? Does she know you’re a grumpy asshole who punches people for a living?”
“Maeve, hold up a fucking second?—”
“Tell me or I’m calling Sean. You know he can’t keep a secret to save his life. He’ll spill everything.”
My grip tightens on the phone. “If Sean knows what’s best for him, he’ll keep his fucking mouth shut.”
“Come on, Kill. Spill. I’m dying here.”
I scrub a hand over my face again, already regretting this conversation. “I can’t go into details. It’s complicated. But there’s a girl I’ve let stay with me. She’s... troubled. We’ve been spending time together.”
