He lets out a low whistle. “Need backup?”
Ezra has always been the reckless one, the idiot who laughs in the face of danger—but when it comes to family, he shows up. Hestood by me even when I didn't deserve it. Even after he warned me, Rose was trouble, and I ignored him like a blind fool.
“I’ll be alright, but… can River stay with you tonight?”
“You're doing it tonight?” He stares at me wide-eyed, excitement written all over his face. Trust him to be happy about his brother's pending divorce.
“No point dragging it out.” The thought of staying married to her any longer makes my skin itch.
He jerks his head, “Fine by me. I was going to his game anyway. But—what about Willow?”
Oh crap. Willow. Damn.
That complicates things. I know she hates her mum, hates me, is grieving her dad, and the last thing she needs is to hear a blowout argument or witness the performance I know Rose will put on.
Ezra smirks. “She can crash at mine, too. I don't mind having a pretty girl around.”
I shoot him a glare. “She's off limits.” For Christ's sake, she's only twenty and River’s sister.
He just laughs, all teeth, brows waggling like the little shit he is. “Relax. I’m not planning on corrupting the girl. She's already halfway there.”
My stomach drops. “You've seen her?”
He leans against the car, arms crossed. “Ran into her a few times at the bar. Dancing. Grinding on some guy every night. Thought about saying hi, but figured that’d scare her off. So I just watched.”
“Ezra,” I warn.
“What? Someone had to keep an eye on her.” He pauses. “She's fucking gorgeous, Elijah. You didn't tell me she grew up and turned into—”
“Stop talking.” I cut him off from finishing that sentence. I don't want to imagine what the next words out of his mouth would be.
This doesn't sound like her at all.
I haven't seen Willow properly in years, but River talks about her nonstop. Those two have always been inseparable, and it was one of the biggest things I would fight Rose over. If she had her way, they wouldn't have had a relationship after the supervised visits ended.
I never understood it. How a mother could just leave their child behind without looking back. I pushed back. Hard. Making sure both kids spent the summer holidays at her parents' place, so River and Willow could actually see each other.
It was the only way to keep them from being pulled apart.
And now hearing Ezra describe her the way he just did.
None of it fits the girl River worships, who used to dance in every hallway pretending she was performing to a sold-out audience; she was always finding ways to make River laugh, and their bond has always been strong.
It tells me one thing.
She's hurting more than any of us realised.
My phone buzzes.
River: Can you check on Willow? Mum's alone with her.
Shit.
I shove the phone into my pocket and look up at Ezra. “I need to head back to the house.”
He straightens up, expression sharpening. “Something wrong?”
“Probably,” I mutter. “Knowing Rose, definitely.”
