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“Hey, no more apologies, remember?”
I don’t know how I’d managed to drag myself out of bed yesterday morning and meet Austin for coffee, but I had.
I guess I’d gotten too good at plastering over the cracks and pretending everything was okay. It hadn’t been easy sharing the parts of myself with him that I’d always kept a secret. But after telling him the truth—about Mom, about Tierney and Ben, about my eating disorder, about all of it—I’d felt lighter somehow.
We still had a lot of work to do, but it was a start. Austin was my brother, and I wanted him in my life. Even if he was a selfish, clueless asshole at times.
But there was one secret I’d kept from him.
One secret I would never tell.
Noah.
There didn’t seem any point in rocking the boat between them, not when the season had officially started. I’d spent my entire childhood protecting him—I could do it for a little while longer.
Besides, Noah had made his choice, and it wasn’t me. Austin knowing the truth wouldn’t change that.
“I’m going to miss having you around, Sis,” he said, pulling me into his arms.
“I’ll miss you too. But we’ll still see each other.”
“Damn right, we will. It’s Hot Dog Tuesday, I expect—”
“I can’t tonight.”
“Hot date?” he grinned, and I let out a strangled laugh.
“I wish. But no, I told Harper I’d stop by the bar and hang out during her break.”
“I’m sorry I tried to hit on her,” he said, looking all kinds of awkward.
“You’re forgiven.”
“Hey,” Ella poked her head inside. “We’re all done here. Connor’s hungry, so we were thinking of heading across the street to the pizza place if you want to come?”
“Sounds good to me, but tell him no fucking pineapple,” Austin grumbled. “Unless you want me to stay—”
“No, go,” I said. “I’m fine. I want to finish unpacking and try out the bathtub.”
“We’ll hang out soon.”
I nodded, and he strode out of the room.
“How are you holding up?” Ella asked once Austin was gone.
“I’m okay.”
“You know, Noah did—”
“Please, El, don’t. When I say I’m okay, I mean I can just about hold it together so long as nobody mentions his name.” I gave her a tight smile.
She knew the truth about Noah, and it only made the pain worse.
“Of course, I’m sorry. This place is nice.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Anytime you want company, you only have to ask. And you have Harper. I’m sure she’ll be over all the time.”
