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“Deceit is deceit. Lies of omission are still lies.” He leans against my kitchen counter while I clean up. “It hurts that you didn’t come to me first. We’ve always told each other everything.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I needed time to absorb it.”
“So, you ran straight to Griff,” he says accusingly.
“No,” I slam the cupboard closed, “I knew about it for a couple months before I went to him. I needed a favor. One that he was uniquely qualified to help me with.” I lift my chin defiantly because he needs to understand I’m not backing down. “If I had told you everything, you would have called him up and asked for the same thing. All I did was cut out the middleman.”
He looks at me like I slapped him. “The middleman? I’m your fucking brother. Protecting you is my job.”
“I’m not five anymore,” I say with a softened tone. “I love you so much, but what you just said is why I didn’t go to you. I knew Griff would have my back. Aren’t you glad I went to someone you trust?”
“Trusted,” he says with a clenched jaw.
“Stop.” I wrap my arms around him in a hug. His muscles are all but vibrating with tension, but he hugs me back and rests his cheek on the top of my head. “You’re mad, and it’s understandable.”
“Was it really casual because you two seem to be in disagreement about how serious it is?”
“Does it matter now? It’s over.”
He kisses the top of my head after a big sigh and drops his arms. “I was talking to Dad, and we have a plan for your MS.”
I can’t stop the laugh from escaping my lips. When he looks at me quizzically, I tell him, “Levi called that in the car on the way back.”
“What else did you talk about?”
“Basically, the same thing you and I are talking about.” I direct him toward the door, exhausted from a long and emotional day. “I need you to go home.”
“One last thing,” he points at the new deadbolt, “how did you get that installed so quickly?”
“I paid the locksmith triple. Griff told me about your midnight snooping through my apartment, you fucking psycho.”
“Wouldn’t have had to do that if you had just come clean.”
“Out,” I say as I open the door. He and I could go around and around about this. “Tell Lilith I said goodnight and kiss the girls for me.”
