Page 53 of Let’s Be Real

She sucked in a shaky breath. “Therapy and the right medication made a world of difference for me. You don’t have to talk to me. You never have to tell me anything. I only hope you’re speaking to someone. You can manage this, but you have to stay on top of it.”

My fists uncurled, and I flattened my palms on my legs. “Is this all you wanted to say?”

She blinked fast. “If that’s all the time you have for me today. Well, besides I love you, and I’ve never stopped keeping track of you. I’m very proud of the man you’ve become. All of you boys. I know I had little to do with it, but I am.”

I couldn’t remember my mother ever telling me she was proud of me. I didn’t want it to mean anything, but it struck like a fist to my chest.

“Thank you,” I gruffed, my throat thick. I pushed to my feet, looking anywhere but her. “I hope you’re not in too much pain. I have to go now.”

She didn’t try to stop me, but I felt her watching me until I was out of her apartment, the door shut firmly between us.

Chapter Twenty

Nate

It was another one of those nights where sleep was so far out in the ether it seemed like it would never be within my grasp again. I’d lost track of time, so when Samantha let herself into my apartment, my pulse kicked a surprised beat, and I swiveled from my computer to face her.

“Hey.” She sauntered over to where I was sitting at the kitchen island and leaned her elbow on the counter beside me, smiling. “Are you waiting on nachos?”

Despite myself, I smiled back. She had that effect on me. “To be completely honest, I didn’t realize how late it had gotten. But if you’re offering, then yeah, I’d love to share some nachos with you.”

I wasn’t particularly hungry, but now that she was here, I wasn’t ready to lose her to sleep. And watching her move freely around my kitchen, like she’d made herself at home, was soothing.

Over her shoulder, she asked, “Did Kelly give you much trouble?”

“She did a lot of talking.”

Samantha raised a brow. “About lunch with our mom?”

“Yeah. She gave me the rundown.”

She shuddered. “It wasn’t the most pleasant afternoon. Kelly got a taste of our mom’s bitter side. I think she had an epiphany.”

I chuffed. “She mentioned something about that. Realizing this is how your mom’s always been with you. I don’t think she’s very happy with herself for never noticing.”

Though I found it incredibly difficult to believe she’d shared a home with Samantha and hadn’t noticed how god-awful Marla was. It had taken me all of thirty seconds to see it. I would’ve said she’d never cared before today, when it had affected her too.

I guess it was marginally better late than never.

Samantha bustled around the kitchen, her black skirt shifting higher on her thighs with every step. “Sorry you ended up being Kelly’s sounding board.”

I lifted my eyes from her legs. “It wasn’t all bad. She doesn’t expect me to do more than nod along. It’s almost like listening to a podcast.”

That made her laugh. “God, what a day. And what a situation we’ve found ourselves in. A month ago, you and I were nothing more than two ships passing in the night. Now, I’ve practically moved in with you while bringing along my estranged sister who’s decided we’re buddies.”

“What a day,” I echoed. “I visited Louise after work.”

I hadn’t shared this with my brothers, but with Samantha, it spilled out of me without any prompting.

“Really?” She brought our nachos over and perched on the stool beside me, turning so her legs slotted between mine. “What was that like?”

“She’s dying. That’s clear from looking at her. I don’t know how I feel about it.”

“I get that. It’s okay to be conflicted. Even makes sense. If my mom were dying, I would be too.”

We were quiet for a few minutes, eating our nachos with our legs tangled. I found I wanted to talk to her about Louise, but I didn’t know where to start. My thoughts were so mixed up. What I felt was buried so deep under a layer of neutrality—I didn’t know how to access it. I was aware it was there, like a lump in the sand, but I couldn’t get to it.

I was most aware of the warmth of Samantha’s knee pressed to mine. The taste of melted cheese and sour cream on my tongue. Her low hums of delight. The ease of her presence. My growing arousal when her leg moved against mine.