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“I’m not asking you to accept me as your brother. I’m just asking that we try to be friends. I didn’t ask for any of this, just like I know you didn’t, and I’m sorry about you and Ellie. I’m just hoping that we can put this all behind us, and move on.”
I wipe the back of my hand over my mouth, considering his words. He’s right: neither of us asked for any of this, and I’m getting a sense of déjà vu from Ivy’s birthday. I’d made the attempt to reach out then, trying to appease Ellie before she left, but I hadn’t really meant it. But now I’m tired. I’m tired of carrying around all this anger and resentment. I’m tired of feeling bitter all the time. I’m tired of focusing on everything that’s gone wrong in the past. I just want to be happy, and Lily makes me happy.
I glance over at Conrad. “I’ve started seeing Lily.”
He nods slowly, grimacing. “I saw. I’m happy for you, she’s a great girl. Do me a favour and tell Ellie, though, can you? I think she’d appreciate it coming from you.”
“Yeah, I will.”
He climbs to his feet, and I call out, “Thank you.” He pauses, his back to me. “Thanks for agreeing to go through with the kidney donation to save our dad.”
He turns around slowly, a wary look on his face as if waiting for the punchline. “It’s nothing.”
I shake my head and get to my feet, stumbling slightly as the whiskey hits me. “It isn’t nothing. You’re going to save his life. So, thank you.” He offers me his hand, and I shake it. “Whatever happens when Dad wakes up, I won’t forget what you did. We’re good.”
Conrad swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “Thanks, man. That means a lot.” He clears his voice. “So, what do you say we go forget about all the bad stuff for a few hours and enjoy the rest of your birthday?”
I grin. “Sounds like a plan.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
LILY
“LILY!” TOM WAVES me over to where he’s standing with a couple of guys near the fireplace. I turn back to watch Harley’s back as he retreats to the kitchen.
“Go,” Ivy says, pushing me over towards Tom. “I’ll deal with Harley. It was my fault anyway. I shouldn’t have pushed.”
With a sigh, I make my way over to Tom. He grins and slings his arm over my shoulder. “Lily, this is Elijah, our cousin from Sydney, and his boyfriend, Kai.”
My smile slips slightly as I offer a small wave to the two men standing in front of me. Elijah is easy to pick. He has the same striking blue eyes as Harley and Tom. His hair is bleached blond with pink frosted tips, and he has multiple piercings on his eyebrow, septum, and lip. Kai is his complete opposite with dark hair, dark eyes, and from the skin that I can see peeking out of his shirt, he’s covered intatts from the neck down. I squirm at the heaviness of his gaze on me.
“Do I know you?” he asks.
“I don’t think so,” I say with a shake of my head, swallowing down my fear that he knows who I really am and he’s about to out me to Tom.
“You look familiar,” he says, cocking his head to the side as if he’s trying to remember where he’s seen me before. “Doesn’t she look familiar, babe?”
Elijah laughs. “You say that about every pretty young thing we meet.”
“Lily’s from Sydney,” Tom offers. “That’s where she met Harley. Maybe you guys have crossed paths?”
“You from the Cross?” Kai’s brows shoot up.
I shake my head. “No, I was just out with some girlfriends when I met Harley.”Not a total lie.
“Who did your ink?” Elijah asks, nodding at my arm.
I worry my bottom lip as I try to come up with something to say. I can’t tell him it was my cousin Roberto from Inked because that will give away who I really am. “Uh, I can’t remember. It was some guy from the north side.”
“It’s a nice piece.”
“Thanks.” I turn to Tom. “Should I go get the cake ready? We probably want to do it before everyone’s wasted.”
He grins at Elijah. “Wait until you see the cake, man. Patty is an absolute gem. She managed to recreate a replica of the beach cake Mum made for Harley’s first birthday.”
Elijah laughs. “Remember how Aunt Lily was trying toget a photo of the three of us with the cake, but you were too focussed on blowing out the candle that you pushed Harley off your lap, and he face planted into the cake.”
I can’t help but join in the laughter. “What? How do you even remember that?”
