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I’m thoroughly blown away. “A farm? That’s cool.”
Miles nods. “Look, I’m genuinely sorry about the other day. I want to be the best brother to you, Shay.”
“And I want the best for both of us. Let’s bridge this stupid gap between us, Miles. For the record, I like working here and I think I’m making a difference. Please tell Mom and Dad I’m not some pity party.” I hug him again.
A small smile appears on his lips. “It won’t be easy.”
“Since when do we do things the easy way?” I chuckle.
He laughs, and in that moment, we’re back. I get up to leave.
“Promise me you’ll be careful and always be honest with him about your health,” he says to my back.
I turn and hold up my hand like I’m swearing in on the witness stand. “I promise.”
I leave feeling like our twin bond has been mended. The road ahead might be uncertain in many ways, but with my brother’s hesitant blessing, I feel better.
For today, that’s enough.
Chapter twenty-five
Austin
A Few Hours Later
The annoying hum of the office heater does nothing to ease the tension in the room.
Shay encouraged me to talk to Miles after her meeting went well, which of course it did. They’re twins, for fuck’s sake.
I’m merely the rent-a-brother.
Through the glass walls of his office, I see Miles sitting behind his desk, he’s facing away from me, staring out the window. I hate what happened last week and wish Shay had felt comfortable telling him about our relationship status after we hooked up. But, what’s done is done.
The thought of losing Stodge is unfathomable. We’re not solely business partners, as far as I’m concerned we’ve been brothers in all but blood for nearly two decades. It’s time to repair whatever damage I caused by falling in love with his sister. This is uncharted territory.
I clear my throat when I open the door to his office and jump in without any fanfare. “Stodge, I understand your concerns regarding Shay. But you need to know this isn’t a casual fling.”
He whirls around and glares at me. “And?”
“Uh…” I stammer. “I love her.”
Miles slaps his desk. “I have to ask, is it lust or love, Austin?”
“Both?” I wince. He doesn’t need to know about our sex life. So much ick.
Miles looks like he’s smelled something rancid. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I? Sit down, let’s hash through this shit.”
“Yeah, let’s.” I take the seat across from him. “Let me have it.”
He nods. “She’s my twin. We shared the same womb. When she hurts, I feel it. And when she’s happy, that’s my joy too.”
“I get it. And you know my history, you’re worried I won’t be enough for her.” It makes sense, it’s not like I have stellar role models modeling romantic relationships.
He stands and leans over his desk, pointing his index finger at me. “Don’t be an idiot. You’re so off base it’s comical. I actually think you’re perfect for her, but between the two of you there’s a load of baggage to sort through. And I don’t mean Devon.”
“What do you mean then?” I’m relieved to hear he approves of me but the baggage comment has me worried.
He turns to his computer and pivots the monitor around so I can see a website with a ton of information about epilepsy. “Shay’s condition… It’s not always predictable. She’s found the correct meds, but there are certain protocols you need to know if she has an episode. My guess is she hasn’t gone over any of this with you.”
