AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Because you both love each other,” he replies, letting his hand fall away. “You can’t love each other like that and let it go.”
“Why is everyone so insistently ignoring the fact that I am, in fact, letting her go, despite being in love with her? I’ve made my decision. It’s done.”
“If you say so,” Max says with a grin. “But I predict you’ll wise up because you’ll have faith that you and Simone can handle anything as long as you’re together, and I also have complete confidence that my sister will welcome you back with open arms. She did it once before, remember?”
Yeah… I remember. She was too good a woman for me and still is, for that matter.
“Good luck,” Max says, pivoting and walking away. He takes three paces and then turns to face me, as if he has just one more thing to say. “Oh, and see you at the next family get-together.”
I snort because that’s ridiculous. “Whatever.”
CHAPTER 15
Simone
Anna kisses Malikon his neck before she pushes up off the love seat. “I’m exhausted and going to bed. Love you.”
“Love you back.” Malik holds on to her hand until their arms stretch and fingers slide against each other before breaking apart.
“Good night, Anna,” I say, and Lucas and Max echo me.
When the door to the master bedroom closes, we’re all silent for a moment. The Fournier siblings are all together in Malik and Anna’s living room. They’re staying the night and flying back commercial tomorrow, taking the opportunity to spend time here with us all in the same city. It’s close to midnight, but I’ve got nowhere to be tomorrow. I decided to stay here tonight so we could all hang out as long as we wanted to.
I know Lucas and Max are exhausted as they played a well-fought game. Lucas is currently sprawled out on the big couch and I’m sitting on the floor with my back resting against it near his feet. Max is cocked back in the recliner and Malik is still sunk into the love seat Anna just vacated.
“Get me a beer, runt,” Lucas demands, moving his knee to bump me in the back of my head. He’s got two empties sitting on the coffee table.
“Bite me,” I reply.
“Twerp.” Lucas swings his legs over my head and rolls off the couch. “Anyone else want one?”
“I’ll take another,” Max says, draining the last of his bottle.
Malik lifts his chin. “Me too.”
“Sis?” Lucas inquires.
I hold up my bottle of water. “I’m good.”
I’d told them earlier I had an upset stomach and wasn’t in the mood to drink. I was patted on the head while they got busy with the beer. This is typical for a Fournier get-together. It’s not often we’re all under the same roof, but after the parents go to bed, the kids usually stay up late and talk. In the last handful of years, that’s included significant others, but Max’s wife, Jules, and Lucas’s wife, Stephanie, stayed back in Raleigh with my adorably perfect nieces and nephews. And, of course, Van’s not here.
No, he’s holed up in a hotel somewhere, avoiding me.
When Lucas comes back in, he delivers each beer and then plops onto the couch, but this time he doesn’t lie down. He pats the available seat cushion. “Get your ass up here and let’s talk.”
It’s not the offer to give up the hard floor that has me dubious, but the tone in his voice that sounds like this was preplanned.
I glance around, eyeballing Malik and Max, and yup… they’re no longer casually slouched in their chairs but sitting up straight. Apparently, they’ve been waiting for Anna to go to bed to gang up on me about Van.
“Actually,” I say as I stand, stretching and giving a huge fake yawn. “Kind of tired. I’m going to bed.”
I try to walk past Lucas but he grabs the back of my shirt and slings me toward the seat next to him. I can’t stop my momentum and the minute my butt hits the cushion he points at me. “Stay.”
“Woof, woof,” I mutter, but I stay. I scoot back into the corner of the couch and cross my legs. “But I’m going to talk first.” I look pointedly at Lucas. “You’re an asshole for fighting Van tonight.”
“It’s just hockey,” he says smoothly.
“You’re full of shit. Everyone saw you instigate it and it was uncalled for. Christ, Lucas… you split his cheek open.”
