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“He should be. He and dad were always so close. He looked up to him and my dad treated him like his most prized possession. But my brother’s too stubborn to show any pain. I guarantee he’s probably thinking about how he has to be strong for the rest of us. In his mind, he’s in charge now, and he can’t afford to look weak.”
Matthew isn’t telling me what I don’t already know.
“Well, if your dad’s other son wasn’t such a goof, maybe he’d have two sons he could have shown the ropes to,” I tease, nudging him on the shoulder.
“Eh, what fun would that be? Mike can deal with the business. I have no problem reaping the rewards,” Matt says, trying to sound upbeat, but I can see he’s still worried.
“I’m sure he’ll be okay.”
“You think you could talk to him?”
I look into his green eyes, so unlike his brother’s. Matt’s eyes are like the forest, bright and hopeful. Michael’s eyes are like crystals. Hard and cold.
“He hates me, Matt.”
“He doesn’t hate you, trust me. He’s probably just upset about how things went down between us. Which is ridiculous, considering it’s been a year,” he says. “Michael probably thinks I’m still in love with you.”
“You’re not, are you?” I ask, a little worried about his answer.
Matt smiles and shakes his head.
“Hell no. Not even a little bit,” he replies.
I shove his arm.
“Gee, you’re really good for a girl’s ego,” I tell him.
He laughs. “Don’t get me wrong, Chrissy. I’ll always care about you, but you were right to break up with me. We’re on different paths and we’re probably better apart. Besides, we both know I’m not the guy for you.”
“I’m sorry,” I say softly.
“No, you’re not. You’re Christine Lawson. If you break up with someone, you mean it.”
I place a hand over my chest in mock gratitude. “You know me so well.”
“Always. Plus, now you’re a badass lawyer. I’ll call you if I need help getting out of jail.”
“I promise to charge you extra,” I assure him.
“Come on, let’s go see Mom,” he says, leading me toward their mother’s bedroom.
Samantha Crane is one of the sweetest, most down-to-earth people I know, and the sight of her curled up in her bed breaks my heart. She sits up when she notices me and Matt in the room.
“Christine?” she says tearfully.
“Hi, Sam,” I greet, moving closer and curling up next to her on the bed. “You look rough.”
She laughs softly before running her hand through my hair.
“How was law school?”
“It was tough,” I admit. “But I did it.”
“I never doubted you for a second,” she says proudly.
“I’m sorry about Marcus,” I say, my voice quiet. “I already miss him.”
She lets out a deep breath. “Me too, sweetheart.”
