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"You just levitated away from me. What's the chance that anyone…” My words trail off as the doors open, revealing Cara standing there, chewing on her lip. She's still in her work clothes, but she's wearing fuzzy slippers and her hair is in a messy ponytail.
"Good," she says, grabbing my hand. "I need you." I aim a distracted wave at Nick as she tugs me off the elevator and through our door. She shoves it closed behind us, then rests her back against it. She's watching me like she doesn't know what to say.
"If you keep chewing on your lip like that, you're going to make it bleed," I say quietly as I take off my boots and drape my coat over a stool at the island. "Just spit it out, lady."
"Declan asked me to move in with him."
I close my eyes and let a little wave of loss wash over me. It's only a small wave, so I let myself feel it.
"I'm not doing it. It's okay. I'll stay here with you," she says quickly, chewing on that lip again.
I turn to her. "Why on earth would you do that? You are madly in love with that man. You have been for years, and now you have a chance to really be with him. And what? You're going to say no? What possible reason is there to do that?"
I know what she's going to say, but we have to play this out. We have to finish it. "Bree," she says quietly, "I don't think it's a good idea to leave you. It hasn't been that long since...that night. You're still fragile."
"I knew you saw me as a little broken still, but I didn't realize you saw me like that. Fragile," I mutter under my breath. "I'm not fragile. I'm not broken. I'm just a little cracked Cara. I'm getting better, I swear I am. You have to stop this."
Her eyes widen. "Stop what?"
"Stop trying to pull me down."
She presses a hand to her chest, rubbing right over her heart. She looks like I slapped her. "I can't believe you said that," she says.
"Believe it," I say firmly. "You are babying me. You're a class A helicopter mom." I hold up my hand, silencing her objections. "I needed that from you. I did. At the beginning, I let you put yourself between me and the world. But you don't have to do that anymore. I mean, have you even bothered to really look at me? I mean, really look at me? I'm okay. I still have some rough patches, but I'm dealing."
Her eyes glisten with tears, but they don't fall. That's my sister, tough as nails, but a squishy underbelly. "You're so strong," she says, words strained. "I never meant to make you feel like I didn't believe in you. I swear, I was just trying to take care of you."
I walk to her, holding my hands out for hers. "I know you were. I do. That's why I didn't say anything before. But it's time. You need to live your life, and I need the freedom to live mine. We are seriously co-dependent. A little space is probably a good thing."
"I don't want space from you," she says sadly. I laugh, because she sounds like a whiny child. She squishes up her face at me, but she smiles back.
"I know you don't. But honestly, I've kinda enjoyed the break this week. You and your man try to be discrete, but these walls are not that thick and if I have to hear you order him to fuck you harder one more time, I might lose it. How would you like hearing me with a guy?"
Cara laughs and gives me a look. "I've heard it more than once. You're no innocent angel." She sobers and squeezes my hands. "You're right. I know you are. And I'm really glad you're feeling better. I really am. Just promise me you'll be smart. Take your time and later, like way later, when you're ready to date again, you let Declan run his background first. He can weed out the bad ones."
"There's a lot of hot guys right here in this family." I shouldn't have said it. I know it immediately.
She laughs and wraps me in a hug. "Can you imagine? Sisters dating brothers? That's too creepy even for us. Besides, all these guys know I'd have their balls if they ever put a move on you."
She lets me go, unaware of the wounds her words have left. She means well, I keep reminding myself. But I'm having a hard time believing it. I want to tell her she's wrong. That there's a man close to me who is perfect for me, but I can't seem to form the words. Why does she think she has to protect me from these men? Men who have been nothing but good and kind to both of us? Why does she think she gets to make those kinds of decisions for me?
I force a smile, and clap my hands. "Well, what's the hold up? We have a whole afternoon free. We can have you packed up in no time."
Her eyes widen, and she drops back against the door again. "Wait. Right now? You want me to go now?"
"Yeah honey, it's time. You need to start your new life, and so do I. But maybe one more sleepover?"
"With ice cream and a movie?" she asks hopefully.
"Dirty Dancing and Rocky Road."
"You're on!" She says with a grin. She grabs my hand and drags me to her room, her future bright in front of her.
I follow, a hollow pit in my stomach. How is she going to react when she learns about me and Nick? I can't help feeling like it's a lose-lose scenario. Someone's going to get hurt, and relationships are going to be damaged, maybe permanently.
32
NICK
