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I don’t particularly want to deal with my sister-in-law at the moment, but one wrong word said in the wrong tone, and I’ll have my brother to deal with. I don’t have the energy to fight him tonight.
“He didn’t know.”
“Since he hasn’t had a call from home, I’m guessing the look on your face is personal?”
“Yeah,” I grunt.
“If you wanna talk, I’m around.” She slides off the stool as Luca slides a bottle of whisky toward me on the bar. “But I will say, Holly didn’t just wait for you to get out, she waited, deserving much more than to be left alone two days after your release.”
“I hear ya,” I say, tipping the bottle to my lips.
Fuck the glass. I have one objective and it shouldn’t take me long to pass out.
The place suddenly is quiet, and I look over my shoulder to see everyone has cleared out.
Luca drags a stool around the bar and sits opposite me. I arch my brow and he shakes his head.
“You’re out of your mind if you think I’m just gonna let you drink yourself stupid. Talk to me. This isn’t you.”
“What isn’t me? Tell me because I have no fuckin’ idea anymore.”
Before India, I was a fiancé and a dad. After India, I was a fucking widower and a dad. Now, Holly is there and all I fucking see, and I have no idea who I’m supposed to be with her in my life.
“Holly wants more from me,” I admit and take another swig from the bottle.
The liquid burns my chest, but it leaves me loosening up and I take another.
“That’s what’s scared you out of town?”
I pointedly stare at him until he rolls his eyes and pulls his pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
“I get you still love India, but to be blunt, she ain’t here no more. Holly is and for some reason, like India, she sees something in you that she wants to keep.”
“Fuck you.”
“Think about it like this then. You were lucky enough to find one good woman to love you, but you’re luckier to find two in one lifetime.”
“You forget I know you, little brother. I see how hard you love Victoria. You won’t even let anyone shorten her name because that’s what you call her. You think you could move on from her?”
It’s brief, but he curls in on himself at the thought, and I caught it.
“Exactly.” I hit the bottle again and relish in the burn.
“You forget who I’m married to, big brother. My wife sees life differently and I hate to admit some of it has rubbed off on me. When I married her, I did so after seeing us still together in many years to come. Our kids and their kids, us with grey hair and a box full of pills to keep us going day to day. I saw the lot. You were never destined to have that with India, but maybe you are meant to have it with Holly.”
“Does Dad know you talk such shit now?” I snort.
“Dad thinks Holly is a good woman and that you should get your head outta your ass and lay claim to her.”
“He does?”
He nods and lights a smoke. He passes it over and I suck on the little stick and chase it down with whisky.
“Harper’s rooting for you both too.”
“Fucking hell, is there anyone who doesn’t know my business?”
“I don’t think so.” He laughs, but it’s not long lived. “I don’t really know her, but I know she loves my niece. She and my wife have connected. She got close to our sister while you were away. It seems you’re the only one who hasn’t accepted her.”
