His words trailed off as his eyes met his brother’s. I turned to find Sully’s expression just as strained as the last time I’d looked at it, and I knew he was doing everything in his control not to blurt out secrets. I wouldn’t be mad if he did, but we both knew it was better this way—to get a handle on the pregnancy ourselves first before bringing other people into it.
Sully’s gaze flared as it landed on me again, and I had to ball my fingers into a fist to keep from reaching out to him. The ghost of his touch still lingered on my palm, the feel of his fingertips grazing my skin, and a hot shiver erupted down my spine. Especially as his gaze was so heavy.
Then he tore it away, returning to his brother. “Sorry, man. I’ve had a lot on my mind, ya know?”
Understatement of the century.
“Yeah,” Theo said solemnly. His eyes tracked back and forth between Sully and me. “I know.”
He knew, and that was why he’d been calling. To check on his brother, make sure he was okay.
“Well.” Sully clapped his hands together, faking a smile. “If you need me, I’ll be upstairs, going through childhood memories I’ve tried unsuccessfully to bury for years.”
I winced, and then he was gone, stalking back to his room.The door clicked behind him, and even though he didn’t slam it, it almost felt like he did.
I stared after Sully, wondering if I should follow.
Wantingto follow.
Theo’s sigh drew me out of my thoughts.
“Look, Ellie…” he started, and I braced myself for whatever he was about to say. “I don’t know what’s going on, and you know I’m glad you’re back, but…”
I stared at Theo, needing him to finish. But he just dragged a hand through his chestnut-colored hair, his mannerisms similar to his brother’s but slower, more calculated.
“Just say it, Theo,” I encouraged when he still looked tortured with indecision.
He gave me a pained look. “Like I said in my text, I’m here for you. If you need anything.”
“I know you are.”
The Londons were far more gracious to me than they should have been, and I was almost glad to hear Theo add, “It’s just, you’ve gotta know what this is probably doing to him, to have you back here. And like this.” He gestured around us, at the foyer of his childhood home.
My stomach cramped. “Theo, if you’re not comfortable with me living here?—”
“I really couldn’t give less of a shit about this house and if you live in it, Ellie,” he cut in. “I want you to be home, but I’m also just a bit worried about my little brother.”
“I know.” A ball of emotion sat heavy in my chest. “Believe me, I’m well aware that even though he agreed to this, in some ways he is…less than happy that I’m here.”
I trusted Sully when he told me that he wanted this—the baby, the teamwork. But I also knew this scenario was never exactly what he wanted, that it wasn’t the dream he’d once envisioned.
“Well, I don’t know aboutthat,” Cooper muttered, and my eyes darted to him before finding Theo again whenhe spoke.
“You know how he overcompensates when he masks his emotions,” he tried to explain. “His jokes aren’t always jokes, and if he’s an ass…”
I laughed.
Theo didn’t.
“He hasn’t been. An ass,” I clarified. “Ever since—”Ever since I told him I was pregnant with his child, I wanted to say, but I bit my tongue. “I think it’s going to be okay,” I settled on. Maybe that was a little more optimistic than the situation warranted, but I had to try to believe it. “I promise I have a good reason for being here.”
Theo gave a solemn nod. “I know.” He gave me a small, sad smile. “I know my brother, but I know you, too. You wouldn’t be putting yourself through this unless there was a reason to.”
“No,” I whispered. “I wouldn’t be.”
Before Theo could say anything else—or, God forbid,askanything else—a door closed at the top of the stairs, and we all turned to see Sully coming down the stairs with a few boxes in his arms. I recognized the things coming out of the top. Books and video games he used to love, movie posters from his walls.
“I’ll be in the garage,” he said a little too brightly as he whooshed past us, leaving me aching to follow him. “If it’s still standing, that is. Last time I was in there, I could have sworn the walls were shaking.”
