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“Hey everyone. I’d like to thank you for coming today to celebrate my baby sister and her new husband. We’re all so happy for the two of you. Welcome to the family, Linc.” Jack gets a little choked up, looking at Emerson. “Emmie picked this song for Linc’s and her first dance, under one condition.” He looks over at Carys, who’s lovingly stroking the mic in her hand. “The only present she wanted from our beautiful roommate was this song. So, could we please get the new Mr. and Mrs. out onto the dance floor for their very first dance as a married couple?”
Rook stands next to me and hands me a bottle of beer as Jack plays the first few chords of “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls before Carys joins in.
“She’s fucking incredible.”
I agree, never taking my eyes off her. “She really is.”
“You gonna fight for her or just let her go?” He sips his beer, watching me.
“It’s not that easy.”
“Man up, Sinclair. What have you got to lose?”
Both our phones ring, and mine is the ringtone I assigned to messages from Command. Rook and I both look at them, then look around for the rest of the team. Looks like we’re heading out.
The song ends, and we all say our goodbyes to Emerson and Linc, who’s on leave for the next few days and won’t be coming with us.
When I turn around, Carys is no longer standing with the band, and I don’t see her anywhere, even after I scan the yard.
Emerson reaches out for a hug, stopping my search for Carys. “She just went into the house, Coop. She’s been miserable without you, but if you tell her I said that, I’ll break you.”
“Thanks, Em. I owe you.”
She smacks my shoulder. “Don’t forget it, Sinclair.”
I step into the house, full of servers and guests, and I catch a glimpse of her blue gown as the front door closes behind her. Walking quickly through the crowd, I open the door and nearly steamroll over her.
I grab Carys’s bare shoulders and hold her back against me. “Sorry, baby” leaves my lips without any thought.
“You’re leaving.” It’s not a question, so I’m not sure what she wants to hear, especially since I haven’t heard from her in over a week.
“Do you care?” I know it’s a shitty thing to ask, but I’m like a fucking bear with a splinter in his paw. And even knowing that doesn’t help.
Carys turns slowly in my arms. “I’ll always care, Cooper. I need you to be safe.”
“Will you be here waiting for me when I get home?” I grip the back of her neck and squeeze. “We need to talk.”
“I’ll be here. That’s all I can promise, Coop.”
“That’s not an answer, Carys. Your brother’s wedding is next month. I was hoping we could talk to the family about us before then.”
She closes her eyes, and her shoulders deflate in front of me. “There’s nothing to talk about. There is no us.” She reaches up and presses her lips to mine. “Be safe, Cooper.”
And then, she’s gone.
“The universereally is a fickle bitch with a fucked up sense of humor. You and I both know that.” Chloe’s FaceTiming me to make sure I like the new idea she came up with for a swimwear line she wants to get into production next week.
“Physically, I feel great. It’s just my heart that hurts.” I haven’t had a flare-up in a few weeks. No fever. No headache. I’ve even started running again. Okay, so I’m not pushing myself as hard as I used to when I was training for a marathon, but a few miles a day a few times a week has me feeling more like myself than I have in months.
My career is starting to explode in front of me. The path is wide-open and blue-skied. Stone’s girlfriend bought a few shirts from me a few months ago and wore them during the filming of her show. A realtor asked where she got one of them, and she dropped Le Désir’s name. And holy moly, Chloe and I blew up. We were trending online the other day.Trending. All of a sudden, our little two-person company has more business than we can handle. Chloe started looking for a company to partner with to outsource our manufacturing, so we can increase production and continue to meet our demand. It’s insane and so exciting.
“Have you made a decision about the fall semester yet?” She picks up a swatch of bright-red fabric and pairs it with another one that’s hot pink, and I shake my head no.
“Yeah, I have. I’m going to take the fall semester off and stay in Kroydon Hills. Any chance I can crash with you? I really don’t want to move back in with Mom and Coach.” My eyes go wide, and I smile when she pairs the red with a black accent. “That one. That’s perfect.”
Chloe drapes them both over her dress form and pushes the others to the side. “Of course you can stay with me. I’ve got an extra room.”
“Love you, Chloe. Thank you.”
