Page 18 of Flashback for the Forward

I blew out a heavy breath. “I ran into Bridget Russell that day we went golfing at the club.”

A low whistle sounded. “Damn, okay. She single?”

Rearing back, I huffed, “That’s the first question you ask when I tell you I saw our best friend’s little sister for the first time since he died?”

“Uh, of course it is. Because you’re single now too.”

My head felt ready to explode, and I seethed, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

He gave me the mother of all eye rolls. “Oh, come on, Cole. Do you think I didn’t know that the two of you were together back in the day?”

Eyes bulging, I protested, “No, we weren’t!”

Leveling me with a glare, he said, “Don’t bullshit a bullshitter, brother.”

My mouth opened and closed wordlessly. Eventually, I found my voice. “How did you know?”

Scoffing, Crew said, “Other than the fact that, due to our twin telepathy, I got a stiffy every time the two of you hooked up?”

I dropped my gaze to the vicinity of his crotch, horrified. “What?!”

A burst of laughter was pulled from my twin’s chest. “You should see your face.”

It sank in that he’d been joking, and I muttered, “You’re an asshole.”

He couldn’t wipe the shit-eating grin from his face. “Maybe, but you deserved a little payback for thinking you could keep that giant secret from me.”

Guilt slammed into my chest. Crew and I shared everything with each other, including a womb, so I could only imagine the betrayal he felt that I didn’t trust him enough to tell him about my relationship with Bridget—both when I was in it and after I ended things between us.

I gripped the back of my neck. “Crew, listen—”

“You weren’t as sneaky as you thought you were. Everyone knew.”

My jaw hit the floor. “Everyone?”

Crew nodded in confirmation. “Even Russ.”

Dragging a hand down my face, I asked, “How?”

“You two only had eyes for each other. It wasn’t hard to see that you were head-over-heels in love.”

“Why didn’t anyone say something?”

If they had . . . Fuck, my entire life would have turned out so differently.

My twin shrugged. “We figured you’d tell us when you were ready.”

I swallowed thickly. “And Russ? How did he feel about it?”

“He loved the idea of the two of you together. Couldn’t wait to become your brother for real someday.”

Chest going concave, I couldn’t breathe. My fingers rubbed against my sternum, where there was a permanent reminder of the woman I loved inked into my skin. She could have been mine forever if I hadn’t been such a damn coward. And that truth hurt more than having to break my own heart alongside hers when I’d told her there was no future for us.

Crew’s voice broke through the haze of regret. “You never answered my question.”

I blinked at him. “Huh?”

“Is she single?”