“It was hard when she lost Heath. She was . . .” Saanvi shakes her head. “She wasn’t herself afterward. And Heath might not have been my favorite person, but I hate that she had to lose him like that. His death made her lose a piece of herself that she’s never managed to reclaim.”
I have so many questions I want to ask, but I don’t—not just because I should probably already know all of the answers, but because I owe it to Teagan to get information about Heath from her and no one else. “Do you think he knew how lucky he was?”
Saanvi seems to consider this for a beat. “I think most people don’t know the value of what they have, but Heath seemed to at first. Then things changed, and . . .” She shrugs. “Maybe that’s normal. But we were talking about you. About what you love about my sister.”
I drag a hand through my hair and grin. “Everything, Saanvi. There’s honestly nothing about her I don’t value.” My stomach knots, because I know it’s true. “She makes me laugh when I don’t think I can anymore. And she cares about everyone around her. That’s why she’s such a good nurse and friend, and why she fits so well with my family.”
“She loves your family. She talks about them all the time. Especially the little girl—what’s her name?”
“Lilly.”
“Yes, Lilly! Teagan loves her, and I think she’s ready to trade our mom in for yours.”
I smile, thinking of the way my mom feels about Teagan and her none-too-subtle request that I turn pretend into something real this weekend. “Mom loves Teagan, which is the true test of character. I mean, my mom likes everyone, but she’s selective about who she’d want for her boys, and she’s been wishing Teagan and I would end up together for a long time.”
“It looks like her wish came true.” Saanvi’s so damn sincere, and I understand why Teagan hates lying to her. I wish she’d let Saanvi in on the ruse. “I’m glad she has that here—even if it means she might never come back home.”
“She misses you,” I say, and Saanvi nods, the feeling clearly mutual. “Did you two always get along?”
“Oh, heavens no! I made her crazy when she was a teenager. I’d steal her clothes and tell Mom if she snuck out of the house. I was awful, honestly, but we had each other’s backs when it mattered.”
“Well, if you and Liam ever decide to relocate, I know she’d love to have you in Jackson Harbor.”
Saanvi pats my shoulder. “Thanks, Carter. That’s good to hear.” She takes a few steps away then hesitates for a beat before turning back to me. “I’m sorry Rich is here this weekend.”
I shrug, as if it never even crossed my mind. As if Rich’s presence isn’t the very reason I’m standing here, pretending to be a loving boyfriend when I’ve dodged commitment for the last six months. Rich isn’t at this dinner, for whatever reason. The moment the bus started pulling away tonight, Teagan’s posture shifted as the weight lifted from her shoulders. It took me a minute to realize why—Rich wasn’t with us. My mind keeps spinning with theories about their relationship. Was he abusive? Controlling beyond what she described? Possessive?
“He’s still in love with her,” Saanvi says softly. “And if he thinks he has a chance, he’ll fight for her.”
“Don’t worry,” I say. “I’ll fight harder.”
“I’m rooting for you.” She winks and wanders across the room to talk to another guest.
“Me too,” I murmur to myself. Then I draw in a deep breath, because I realize I mean it.
Teagan crosses the room to me. “Was Saanvi telling you all my secrets?”
“Surely you don’t keep any secrets from me, amygdala.”
She laughs. “Whipping out the big words doesn’t make your awful nicknames any funnier, Carter.”
“But I made you laugh, didn’t I?” My phone rings. When I pull it from my pocket to silence it, I see the call is from Marta. “I’m sorry. I’m going to take this.”
Teagan nods. “Of course. No worries.”
Stepping away, I swipe to accept the call and put the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Oh, Carter, I’m so sorry to bother you. I was wondering if you could come over tonight. It’s Isaiah.”
Terror grips my lungs in a vise. “What happened?”
“No, no, nothing bad. I’m so sorry. He’s not eating and won’t take his pills. He doesn’t want to talk to me, and I wondered . . .”
“Sure. Of course.” I look at my watch, then at Teagan. I know she’ll understand, but I still feel bad for leaving. “I can be there in twenty minutes.”
Carter
“You didn’t have to come,” I tell Teagan as we climb out of the cab. I didn’t want to wait for the party bus to take me back to my car at the bed and breakfast, but when I told Teagan what I was ordering a cab for, she insisted on coming.