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My sister’s eyes grew wide as saucers, and Sydney stilled, one hand on the towel in her hair.
“What are you doing here?” Brandy asked, her voice soft and curious.
I stepped between them, as if I could block their line of sight and that would make the situation less awkward.
“It’s not what you think,” I said. “Sydney is helping me recover.”
My words had Brandy reeling back to look at me. “Helping you recover? I’m the one who should be doing that.”
“We’re not exactly on good terms right now,” I threw back at her.
She flinched. “Well, I really don’t think she’s in a position to help you with anything right now. Does Alec even know she’s here?”
Sydney’s mask of unease flipped at the mention of her brother’s name. She narrowed her eyes at Brandy, her stare intense, as though she were about to bare teeth in a hot minute. “Yes, I am helping your brother recover, but not in the way your dirty mind is thinking right now.” Her eyes were cold and menacing as she leaned in and placed one heavy hand on her hip. “You’re not in a position to judge me, Brandy.” She spat out her name with such venom and spite that she seemed like a different person.
“Hey. Hey. Hey,” I said, getting into Sydney’s space.
I got where she was coming from, but I knew she’d regret it if things got ugly. Sydney wasn’t the type who could live with that kind of hate, and I was going to defend my sister even though I was currently angry with her too.
“I know.” Brandy lifted both palms, as though she were under arrest. “I promise you, I’m not judging. I … I was just curious, but I don’t have a right to know.”
“Yep. You don’t,” Sydney snapped.
Brandy’s shoulders slumped, and when she met Sydney’s eyes, I read the remorse and guilt swimming in them. “I know your brother and your whole family will never forgive me. And I understand, but I still want to tell you I’m sorry. I never set out to intentionally hurt Alec. I lo—”
“Shut up, Brandy.” Sydney’s tone could have cut glass. “Love is selfless, not selfish. You don’t love him. Who you love is yourself. That’s who you love.”
I mentally sighed, hating this was happening.
The first tear fell down Brandy’s face, and I’d had enough. If there was a person who was going to give Brandy a beating with words, it was going to be me.
“Hey, maybe you should go home.” I turned Brandy to face the door. “Listen, we’ll talk, okay? But it won’t be today. I’ll call you.”
She nodded and swiped at her cheeks. “Okay.”
“Brandy,” Sydney called out, which forced both of us to turn in her direction. Her eyes were still hard with a look that wanted to shoot Brandy down. “Have you talked to him?”
Brandy’s chin dipped to her chest. “Yeah, and it’s over. He doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
Sydney visibly exhaled and tipped her chin in acknowledgment, and without another word, she turned her back and walked straight back into my room, most likely to the bathroom.
“I’ll call you, okay?” I said.
Brandy peered up at me with her stark green eyes, so similar to mine, ones we’d inherited from the deadbeat. Without warning, she reached up and full-on hugged me, arms around my neck. She kissed my cheek, then turned without giving me a look back.
And my heart melted a little because as mad as I was, Brandy would always be my little sister, the one I had been born to look after.
CHAPTER27
SYDNEY
Austin walkedinto the bathroom while I was toweling my hair, wanting to rip it out.
“You wouldn’t happen to have a hair dryer, would you?” I was trying to calm myself down, but seeing Brandy only had my blood boiling.
He leaned against the door frame. “No. Do you want me to order one up?”
“Nope. No need.” I was drying my hair as though the towel had done something bad to it.
