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***
Two hours later, I fall into my brother’s arms when he walks into Case’s apartment.
“Emma.” He runs a hand over my back the way he always has. It offers comfort. I need it more than I thought I did. “Damn, I’ve missed you.”
I step back when I see the woman standing in the foyer. She came in behind Drake, but I was too focused on my brother to notice.
“You must be Jane.” I move around Drake to greet her.
“I’ve only heard the best about you, Emma.” Her hands fist in front of her.
I won’t push for anything more than I think someone will offer, so I give her a smile instead of a hug. “It’s good to meet you, Jane.”
Drake surveys the interior of the apartment. “I hear that there’s an offer on this place.”
I try not to look shocked, even though I am.
“You’ve got sixty days to clear out, sis.” Drake laughs.
I don’t share the same amusement because we have things to talk about that are far important than where I’m going to live.
“Where’s Case?”
Drake’s gaze volleys from my face to Jane’s. “Remember Case, babe?”
“Yes.” She nods. “I can’t say they’re all good memories.”
“Jane interned at Cabbott eons ago.” Drake keeps his eyes trained on his bride. “Case wasn’t exactly Mr. Friendly to her.”
This seems like a good time to start my confessions, so I jump right in. “I love him.”
A nervous laugh falls out of my brother. “You love who? Beauregard? Did you realize that you two belong together?”
“Case,” I correct him curtly. “I love Case.”
Anger flares over his expression. “What the fuck is going on? What did he do to you?”
I won’t go there. Instead, I toss the question back to him. “What did you do to him?”
“What are you talking about?” He brushes past me to drop his laptop bag on the couch. “Tell me what’s going on between you two.”
Ignoring Jane, I turn my back on her so I can face my brother. “A girl named Delaney asked you to give Case a message seven years ago. You never gave him the message, did you?”
He chuckles. “I don’t know what you’re doing right now, Em, but if you’re trying to cover up the fact that you slept with my best friend, you’re doing a shitty job.”
“I did sleep with him,” I confirm with a nod. “And we fell in love.”
He drops onto the couch. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Why?” I bark out a laugh. “He’s happy. I’m happy. You don’t get to dictate who either of us loves.”
He’s quiet. His face falls into his hands.
“What were you saying about someone named Delaney?” Jane steps into my view. “I remember meeting a girl named Delaney when I helped Drake move some boxes out of an apartment years ago. I hated every second of it. It wasn’t what I thought I was getting into when I took the intern position.”
Drake’s head pops up. “It’s fine, babe. This is between my sister and me.”
I shake my head. “What do you remember about her, Jane?”
“She was so sad.” Her hand drifts to her cheek. “She was tall and very thin. I remember she looked like she’d been crying for days. She asked Drake to give Case a message for her. I remember that.”
I twist back around to face my brother. “Did you give him the message?”
Drake darts to his feet. “Why the fuck would I do that? His brother had just died, Em. He couldn’t walk straight. Do you know how many times that girl called Apollo’s phone? I turned it off because it never stopped ringing.”
“You what?” I seethe. “You had Apollo’s phone after he died?”
“I had to handle all of it, including his cremation,” he stresses the last word. “I erased everything from the phone and tossed it.”
Anger barrels through me. “You had no right to do that. You should have given the phone to Case.”
“Case couldn’t think straight. He didn’t need any of that teenage drama in his life,” he spits the words out. “Why the hell are we even talking about this?”
This is Drake’s fault. It’s my brother’s fault that Case has never met his nephew. He’s the reason Delaney and Case haven’t connected to help each other through their shared grief.
“I have to find Case.”
“Call Cabbott in San Francisco.” Drake tosses that out with a flick of his wrist.
“I tried that.”
“Gavin Fuller would know.” Jane clears her throat. “I overheard Drake telling his assistant that Case is close to his cousin. Elias loves to gossip with your brother.”
“Give me Gavin’s number.” I point at my brother. “If you have it, give it to me now.”
His finger slides over the screen of his phone. He steps closer to me until he drops it in my hand. “I have no idea what the fuck is going on here, Emma, but I need you to know I love you and I love Case. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry if I screwed up.”
