I chuckle as I type out my response. Kennedy is vibrant, full of life. She's also smart as hell. She's always been gentle, sweet. Caroline is just as smart and equally as sweet, but she's also more apt to stand up for herself and what she wants. Kennedy tends to hang back, only speaking up when something really matters to her. I worry about her all the fucking time, especially now that she's in college, thousands of miles away.
Baby Sister: Fine. We're not friends anymore.
Me: I love you too.
Baby Sister: I guess I love you.
Me: Is everything all right?
Killian just started a program for Marines in San Diego and found Liberty, the woman he's going to marry, so he's got his hands full. And I've got too much shit going on here to hop a flight out to kill whoever hurt her. We will in a heartbeat if she needs it though. Family first, always.
Baby Sister: I have a test tomorrow. :(
I sigh, relieved that she's just anxious and no one is fucking with her.
Me: You're going to do fine, baby sis. Chin up.
I toss my phone on the bed and cross to grab a pair of boxers. Before I even have them up my legs, my phone rings. I grab it on the second ring, swiping to answer.
"You're going to do fine, sweetheart," I murmur. "Why are you stressing about it?"
"Um…"
"Kennedy?" I pull the phone away from my ear and frown at the unfamiliar number.
"No, it's Rowan. Um, Rowan Lassiter?"
I know it's her before she ever says her name. My dick reacts to the lilting sound of her voice, stiffening like he could do this all night. Fuck, I can't wait to get inside her.
"Rowan?" My heart climbs toward my throat and then stalls with worry. "Is everything all right?"
"It's fine," she says, but there's a little thread in her voice that says different. She pauses for a long moment. "I didn't mean to interrupt you and, um…Kennedy, was it? I'm sorry to call you at home, but I'm supposed to meet you in the morning and you never said where."
Is she jealous? Why do I find that thought so fucking adorable?
"You're not interrupting. My baby sister is stressing about a test," I murmur, not wanting her feeling jealous over nothing. There is no other woman in my life. "You can call me anytime, baby."
"Oh," she whispers. "I didn't know you have a sister."
"I have two of them and a twin brother." I sink down onto the side of the bed. "Kennedy is eighteen, and Caroline is twenty-one. Killian is older by three minutes."
"There are two of you?" Rowan says. "That does not seem fair. You are way too freaking…"
"Hmm?" I murmur, smiling like an idiot when she trails off.
"Um…nothing. Never mind." She huffs out a breath. "Where am I meeting you tomorrow, Dr. Thorne?"
"Sebastian."
"What?"
"My name is Sebastian."
"I already know that."
I chuckle at her tone. "Baby, I want you to call me Sebastian."
She goes dead silent.
"Rowan?"
"You called me baby twice!" she whisper-shouts.
"Did I?" I grin, laying back on the bed.
"You can't call me that."
"Why not?"
"Because…because…you can't! It's a rule."
She makes me smile so hard.
"Did you forget? I'm in charge. I make the rules now, baby."
"Stop calling me that!" she cries, making me laugh outright.
"Okay."
"Thank…"
"I prefer Paradise anyway. It's more fitting." I give her a moment to process that before I continue, "And you should know, I plan to break every fucking rule in the book with you, Paradise. Repeatedly."
She stutters and then huffs and then goes silent again.