Page 129 of Sterling Stone

But I continue, feeling at the time, like there hadn’t been another choice. “He was forced to get clean. When he finally got out, he was changed.” Still hard. Still a fighter, but more focused.

“He opened his bakery on an honest dime and became a successful businessman.”

Taxi remains silent and I rush to finish my sorry tale. “He met the right woman at the right time.” Enya.

“Wow,” Taxi whispers, her tone tight, almost sarcastic.

My hand still fists the fitted sheet behind her. She still holds the top sheet to her chest.

“Did you visit him in jail?” she asks, her voice still quiet, eyes lowered. Taxi’s mom had refused to see her own children.

“All the time.” I didn’t want my brother to think I was abandoning him, like our father had abandoned us. I took his displeasure in the situation, fighting against my guilt, eager for his forgiveness, but first he had to forgive himself, which took time. More than just his seven-year sentence.

I exhale heavily and look at Taxi. Her shoulders hunched forward, her hair curtaining half her face.

I’ve fallen from grace in her eyes, and I feel sick. But in order for Taxi to ever love me, she’d need to know all of me. And acting on behalf of the law is still who I am. My faults are more than ketchup on the corners of a grilled cheese sandwich.

“My point in telling you this is because no one is a perfect sibling. And even the worst decisions can be made with love.”

I love Sebastian. Love him something fierce, and he slipped through the cracks in our household. The one I tried desperately to keep together, but failed on several occasions.

Taxi remains quiet. “All I ever wanted to do was protect them.”

“Like I said earlier, maybe Jolene has her own reasons for staying away from Sterling Falls. Ones that don’t involve you.”

Taxi huffs, glancing up and across my room, like the opposite wall is the most interesting space. It also holds the door, and I’m bracing for her to bolt any second.

“You hadn’t been exactly eager to get back here either.” I cautiously remind her. “Or stay for that fact.”

“But I am here.” She whips her head in my direction. “For Trudy. And Simon.”

I’m not arguing that point, she’s given up weeks to be present for them. And my next question is wrong before I even say it, but I ask anyway.

“Those the only people you’re here for?”

“Stone,” she whispers, her eyes still avoiding mine. She can’t even look at me, tell me to my face that I’ve disappointed her. I’ve somehow proven I’m exactly how she’s typecast everyone in law enforcement, and I don’t even blame her.

I’m sick myself when I consider how I treated my own brother. Once he was incarcerated, there was no getting him out. He risked a higher sentence. The judge wanted to make an example of him, and thankfully, we caught the rest of the ring with Sebastian’s cooperation.

“Yeah,” I counter her quiet voice, lifting my arm that had painfully been clutching at the sheets behind her. “You don’t need to answer that.”

I fling my arm from around her, and lunge upward, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. “I’m gonna clean up.”

I need a minute.

We all want to be picked by someone. Be their first choice.

Looks like I’m suddenly not it for her.

43

[Taxi]

Ididn’t like leaving Stone’s house feeling like things were unsettled between us. We’d had a great start to the evening, but I had to go.

The story he told. Arresting his brother. The situation just hit too close to my heart.

The entire day had been filled with upheaval. Another fight with Jolene. The grand gesture of the wall. Another round of mind-blowing sex with Stone. The truth hitting me in the chest.