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“Brad?” She says his name like she’s attempting to place the face of an acquaintance she just bumped her cart into by accident at the grocery store.

“Jesus, Iz. I’m here with Brad … because I’m seeing him.” I spit it out, angrier than I have a right to be, yet I’m hot and prickly beneath my jacket, feeling a territorial surge of protectiveness over my guy.

“You’re there with him? As in with him?”

“Yes. I wanted to tell you the truth so that you’re hearing it from me, and—”

“Ew,” Izzie interrupts. “Are you kidding me right now? Were you two sneaking around behind my back or something? That’s so messed up.”

I’m either going to crack this phone or a molar.

“Izzie, be real.” I dig my hand into my hair and tilt my head to the sky. Wanting to yell and rant at her so fucking badly. “Don’t you dare accuse me of anything like that. In case I gotta refresh your memory … you were the one cheating on him. We only met for the first time the night I arrived at your stupid college party. You admitted to using him. If I remember correctly, you said it yourself—it was never a real relationship to you.”

“Brad is nice. Like I said, it wasn’t so hard to be with him. I could have really been into it. You don’t know shit,” she says so offhandedly, it makes my blood boil.

“Izzie, this isn’t like collecting toys or favorite shades of fucking lipstick. You were screwing around behind his back!” All my heated instincts to defend rise to the surface.

“Are you seriously gonna be mad at me?” Ahh, the classic Izzie pout.

“Yes!” My wry laugh burst out of me. “I’m hella mad at you! I’m furious, because you didn’t deserve his kindness. You didn’t even care about him. You never once—”

Izzie cuts over the top of me once again. “Don’t yell at a pregnant woman.”

“Iz, just listen to me …” I’m blurting it out before I can catch myself. “I’m in love with him. I’m going to be with Brad. Maybe that will be too much of a burden to bear … Maybe that will make it too strained for our relationship to continue. And while I genuinely hope that’s not the case, you have to know, I’m sorry if that’s how it plays out for us. But I’m choosing to follow my heart.”

There’s a pause. Blood pounds in my ears. I’m honestly not sure if she’s going to start screaming at me or hang up the phone and never speak to me again.

Her voice goes quieter. “You love him?”

My eyes lift to watch Brad through the open door to the barn. His messy hair sticks out beneath his cowboy hat, hoodie flecked with bits of horse hay and shavings. He’s grinning to himself, talking to one of the horses that has swung their long neck over the stall door and nibbles at his shoulder.

“Yeah. I love him. Like nothing I’ve ever known.” I swallow hard. “This is the real deal.”

Izzie takes a beat before saying anything. “Sounds like a case of insta-lust if you ask me.” Her words harden. “You always did fall for the first guy who bothered to look your way for more than two seconds.” She sniffs. It’s harsh, but I sense something a little deeper that she’s not saying. As close as Izzie will probably ever get to saying anything approaching, I’m happy for you, Flinn.

“Maybe it’s too fast. Or maybe we’re just meant to be. All I know is that I don’t want to waste more of my life waiting around and not finding out.”

As she scoffs, I can just picture her examining her nails with the phone tucked against her ear. “Well, good luck to you, I guess.”

I lift my hat and rake my fingers back and forth through my hair. “Izzie?”

“Mmm?”

“I hope you find happiness. Wherever you head next and whatever life brings your way, I’ll still be your brother, and I’ll still be on the other end of the phone if you ever want to talk.”

My sister might not deserve that much of an olive branch, but my bleeding fucking heart doesn’t have it in me to be callous.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Don’t sound so enthusiastic.” I shake my head, letting out a humorless laugh and shove my hat back down.

“The baby is gonna be a big adjustment for the two of us. We’re gonna need some time away … some distance so we can focus on us feels like the right decision.” She huffs, and I can hear an eye roll in her voice, though her words have a little more levity to them by the time we say our goodbyes.

The rest of the conversation is brief, functional; Izzie promises she’ll contact Mom and Dad regularly once they reach Germany—even though I know she probably won’t, and they’ll worry—and the silence of our call disconnecting feels oddly freeing.

I know without a doubt what I’ve gotta do, right this second.

My long strides eat up the distance between me and Brad. Hearing me approach, he turns around, that wide smile faltering for a second when he takes in the serious expression plastered on my face.