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He never made me feel like a burden. He never made me feel like I was holding him back from something greater. He provided me with a stable environment and then allowed me certain freedoms.
Did I push the boundaries when I was a teenager? Of course, but isn’t that half the fun?
“I missed you,” my voice cracks a little bit as I wrap my arms around his torso and hug him back with as much strength as I can muster.
He pulls back from me, even though I don’t want to let him go even a little bit. “I missedyou.” He kisses my forehead and then let’s go of me to grab my bag and lead me to the car. “We should get in the car before someone gives me a ticket,” he jokes and winks at me.
I roll my eyes because I doubt anyone would give him a ticket. Is he parked where he shouldn’t be? Of course. But everyone knows Declan in this city. The power he holds speaks for itself.
“You wouldn’t pay it anyway,” I sass him.
Declan throws his head back and laughs before grinning at me. Seeing him now, there’s something different about his smile. He’s always been a good man to me, a good brother, but there has always been a darkness surrounding him. I figured it was because of his power and position, but now I’m not so sure.
The last time I spoke with him, he told me he met someone. He didn’t give me a lot of details; not like I really wanted any—gross—but him mentioning a woman to me was certainly new.
I have no doubt he dated, or whatever, while I was growing up, but he never brought his flings around me. They were never allowed in our home. I never thought about it until he mentioned Roisin for the first time.
As we approach the car, a beautiful woman steps out of the passenger seat. She doesn’t look much older than me. That should probably ruffle my feathers, but I don’t really care. There’s a hesitant and shy smile on her face which is at odds with the kind of woman I would expect my brother to attract. It might be based on a lot of assumptions, but power means something to a certain type of woman.
That’s not the person I’m standing in front of right now.
Roisin is dressed in leggings and a sweater with a big chunky scarf wrapped around her neck. It’s weather appropriate, for sure, but there’s something cozy and easy going about it which puts me at ease. It’s something I would wear and the fact that she’s not dressed to show as much skin as possible is refreshing.
“Hi,” her voice is soft and the smile on her face gets a little brighter and a little surer, “I’m Roisin.”
She sticks her hand out in the space between us and I glance over at Declan to see so much love shining in his eyes. It’s a little gross, but it also gives me a sense of relief I don’t think I can put into words.
The look on my brother’s face, the one that screams how much this woman means to him, has me knocking Roisin’s hand away. Her face falls for a split second but then I engulf her in a hug, and she giggles. I find myself laughing right along with her.
It’s a genuine laugh, not the forced sound I’ve been using for months.
Maybe it’s the relief of being home. Maybe it’s knowing that Conor is much closer. Maybe it’s knowing my brother is going to get the future he always deserved even though he had to put a few things on hold to take care of me.
It feels good to laugh again; I didn’t even realize how much I missed it.
“It’s clear how much you mean to my brother,” I admit softly. “I can see it all over his face when he looks at you. That means we’re family.”
Roisin gives me a squeeze and then steps back, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. I’m a little surprised to find I’m misting up as well.
Yeah, I’m going to say it’s because I’m finally home and not because I’m turning into a romantic sap.
“It’s so good to finally meet you. Declan talks about you all the time. He’s so proud of you.” She beams at me, and it makes me feel good, but it’s also kind of a punch to the gut.
She would have no idea it is, though, so I keep the smile on my face. There must be something in my eyes because she arches an eyebrow. What she doesn’t do is push me to spill everything right here and now.
Is this what it feels like to have a female friend? I’ve never been that great with female friendships, Isla being the closest one I’ve had. I never knew why they wanted to be my friend, and then there are those out there who are just catty bitches. I don’t do catty. Life’s too short for that kind of shit.
I’ve been raised mostly around men who don’t take shit from anyone and can smell bullshit a mile away. It’s taught me well, but it hasn’t exactly made me soft and cuddly.
That’s not a bad thing, it’s just how it is.
“It’ll be good to have another woman around. I’m sure you’ve noticed the level of testosterone surrounding my brother.”
She laughs and nods solemnly. “It’s been quite eye opening. At least Declan puts the toilet seat down. Could I really ask for anything more?”
“I do more than that,” my brother growls and wraps an arm around his woman, subtly pulling her away from me and back into his chest. I scrunch up my nose which makes him roll his eyes at me. But seriously? Ew. “Come on you two, the car is packed up and ready to go.”
I slide into the backseat, knowing full well that Declan would prefer Roisin in the front with him. It’s almost cute the way he reaches over and puts his hand on her knee the moment they’re buckled up and he’s ready to pull into the flow of traffic. It certainly doesn’t make me jealous at all.
