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My shoulders slumped. “You were worried.”
She drew back. “I still am.” If there was one thing my sister would never do to me, it was lie. “But I shouldn’t have said what I said—”
“Addy—”
“Please,” she begged. “I shouldn’t have said what I did, and I’m sorry.”
I placed my hand over my sister’s clasped ones and squeezed. “Addy, it’s my fault.”
“What?” she scoffed. “No. This isn’t your fault, Zeke. You’re an adult. You made your own choices—”
“It’s my fault for not telling you the whole truth, but that’s what I’m here to do now,” I cut in and exhaled slowly. “I never lied to you. We did get married to help Kenzie get custody of her son, but I didn’t tell you because…”
“It’s real now,” she said quietly.
“No.” I shook my head. “I didn’t tell you because it always was.”
That made her eyebrows lift in surprise.
“It was always real, Addy. What I said to you and Eve at her house that day, it wasn’t a lie. Everything I said… everything I felt… it was all true. The lie would’ve been to let you think this was solely about Jake or anything else. I fell in love with Kenzie when I had every reason not to, I just hadn’t… accepted it yet.”
She stared at me for a long second. “I know how that happens.” Her small smile was comforting as she alluded to the time when she’d moved in with Ace ‘for her own protection’… and then never moved out.
“If I told you about Jake, I knew you’d put the pieces together, and then I’d have to admit I didn’t marry Kenzie just to help her.”
“Zeke…” Like a light switch, her eyes turned on the tears.
“I would’ve had to admit I was selfish.”
“Love is selfish,” she countered. “It’s unpredictable and unstoppable. No matter how long or how hard you try to ignore it, it perseveres.”
My shoulders slumped, and I stared at my twin. Somehow, we always knew the right things to say. “It does.”
We sat in silent agreement for some time. We’d both fought the idea of love for so long, finding different ways to try and escape its hold, but in the end, there was no escaping the thing your heart most wanted. It would be easier to lose your own shadow.
“I’m happy for you. For both of you,” she finally spoke. “And if there’s anything I can do…”
“Thank you,” I said just as my phone buzzed. Murmuring an apology, I checked the notification and immediately went on alert. “I have to go.”
“Everything okay?”
I nodded. “Kenzie’s ex just got served custody papers. I want to get back in case…”
I’d gotten confirmation that Stan had signed for the custody arrangement papers, so he knew now that Kenzie was filing for sole custody of Jake. After how he’d responded to news of our marriage at the park, I anticipated a backlash, too.
“Is she in danger?” Addy rose with me.
“No,” I said firmly. “He’s just a cruel, selfish ass, and she doesn’t deserve to have to deal with him alone.”
I made it to the door before I felt her hand on my arm.
“Zeke.” Addy looked up at me. Our eyes mirrored in one another. “I’m glad it was her, and I’d like the opportunity to tell Kenzie that again.”
“I think she’d like that, too.” I pulled my sister in for a brief hug. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
CHAPTER17
