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“Then tell me. What scares you?”
“What scares me? The way he makes me feel. The way my heart races when he’s close. The way I can’t stop thinking about him. The fact that he’s about to be my boss. I’m scared that if I don’t push him away, he’s going to own me heart and soul, and when he decides he’s done, I’m going to be crushed.”
“He makes you feel, Charlie. That’s a good thing. Your heart is racing. That’s chemistry. It’s necessary. The fact that you can’t stop thinking about him, this is more than just a crush, big sister. He’s going to be your boss’s boss. No rules are being broken. And as far as him pushing you away, there is no guarantee. Look at me. Linc and I were happy. We were ready for forever, but things didn’t work out.” She shrugs, and I open my mouth to apologize, but she speaks again, stopping me. “It sucked, but it was for the best. We were comfortable. The heart racing, ‘constantly thinking about each other’ feelings, were gone. Linc is married to his job. I was second, and he was right to call off the wedding. I want more. Ideservemore. I’m glad that he made that choice for us. I’m not sure that I would have.”
“You deserve everything.” My eyes mist with tears.
“So do you, Charlotte. We’ve lost so much, but we can’t be closed off to love.”
“Who said anything about love?” I ask.
“You’re afraid you’re going to be crushed if this ends. That’s a bigif. I’ve known Spencer for a while now, and I’ve never known him to lead someone on. In fact, I’ve never known him to be seriously dating someone.”
“Yeah.”
“The two of you have that in common.”
“We do. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. We don’t know how this works.”
“Oh, come on now. I call bullshit. You watched our parents.” She reaches out and takes my hand. “We know what it looks like. I forgot that for a while, but I remember what their love looked like, and I want that for us.”
“I want that for us too.”
“He asked you out all those years ago. Maybe this is your time? Life is funny like that.” She gets a wistful look in her eyes.
“You trying to tell me something?”
“Maybe, but it’s too soon. I promise if it’s something, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Okay.” I nod. “What about you? He was—isLinc’s best friend.”
“That has no bearing on you and him. Linc and I will get to a place where we can be in the same room together. Spencer is not Linc. If you want him, don’t let anything hold you back.”
“My little sister handing out life lessons,” I say, smiling at her.
“I learned from the best. In the meantime, allow yourself to live and to love. They would want that for you. For both of us.”
“Breakfast, ladies!” Spencer calls out.
Audrey gives my hand a gentle squeeze and climbs off the couch. I do the same, following behind her. She immediately starts making herself a plate, but before I do, I go to Spencer and give him a hug.
“Thank you for making us breakfast.”
He wraps his arms around me and holds me close. I don’t know how long we stand like that, but when he eases his hold, he smiles down at me. “I like taking care of you,” he says softly.
“You’re going to mess around, and I’m going to get used to this.”
“Good.”
There is no hesitation. I know my sister is right. I know that I need to just see what happens. I want to see what we can be. I need to stop worrying about heartache and just live. My parents left this earth far too soon, and Audrey and I both owe it to them to live like today could be our last. If it was, I’d want to spend it just like this.
I tilt my head back to peer up at him, and he drops a kiss on my lips. “Come on, let me feed you. I need to run to my place to shower and either grab clothes, or you can stay there tonight, and we can pack a bag for you.” Something happens inside my chest. It feels as though my heart is opening up and expanding, adding space for this man. My rival.
“Another sleepover?” Audrey asks. He didn’t lower his voice that time.
“I just got her, Audrey. No way am I letting her go that easy.”
My sister smiles. “Well, I, for one, vote for you to stay here if this is what every morning is going to be like,” she says, taking a hefty bite of her scrambled eggs.
