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He was considerate like that.
“You’re not usually my type,” Ben informs me, “but I’ll make an exception this once.”
He lurches toward me, pink lips puckered. I put my hand up against his solid chest to keep him back. “Hold it, tiger. Although I’m flattered that you’re making an exception for me, the feeling is not mutual.”
He scrunches his nose as though the very thought of me rebuffing him is foreign. “No?”
A smile blooms without my permission. Whether it’s the alcohol or Ben’s genuine personality, I find his bafflement amusing. “No.”
He shrugs. “It’s fine. You’re not my type anyway.” He stops and studies me, pale finger on his chin. “You’re too… uptight.”
“Uptight.” I arch an eyebrow. “I’ll let that pass because you’re obviously out of your mind with grief.” I reach out and clamp onto his arm. “The guest room is that way.”
Ben wrenches his hand free and squints into the light. “I’ll find it myself.”
“Okay.” I step back to give him his space.
Ben walks a jagged line down the corridor. I keep an eye on him until he tumbles through the correct door. The moment he’s out of sight, I let out a breath.
Lydia said that Harry appointed Benjamin to act as Reece’s guardian, but was that really the best decision? If Ben’s response to stress is to come home stuttering drunk, then I’m having serious doubts about his eligibility.
I decide to head upstairs and call Lydia to let her know Ben’s come home when I hear something crash. Adrenaline skitters through my veins. I skate into Ben’s room and find him sprawled on the ground, his cheek pressed to the wooden grain.
His teeth are bared and his back is shaking. At first, I think he’s laughing. When I draw closer, I see the tears sparkling in his eyes. My heart drops. I sprint to his side and wrench his shoulder to help him up.
“Ben?”
His blue eyes shift to me, but they’re red-rimmed. The dark circles beneath them punctuate his sorrow. “Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
A tear spills down his cheek. “Is my brother dead?”
“Ben…” The lock holding my grief back snaps at the sight of his pain. I’ve been pretending to be strong all evening. For Reece’s sake. It wouldn’t do either of us good if I was a sniveling mess while she yearned for her father.
But now… now I can’t stop the tide.
I know nothing about this man. Except this. He loved Harry.
And so did I.
For now, that is enough to bond us.
