“What the hell are you talking about?” I bellowed, rage flowing through my veins. “I left for Kale! I left so he could be with Drew and have their baby. I didn’t want to remind him of the bullshit I put him through every time he saw me, and I didn’t want to put a strain on their relationship, because I knew Drew didn’t like me around him. I left so he could finally be happy, so don’t you fucking dare tell me I never cared for him. I loved him with everything in me, you arsehole. I left my entire life for him!”
What I didn’t say was that I also left because I couldn’t watch Kale’s life with another play out before my eyes, but Lochlan didn’t need to know that.
He stared back at me with wide eyes.
I shook my head. “I love you, Lochlan, but you make me hate you sometimes.”
He swallowed as tension left his features. “I don’t mean to be so hard on you, but you didn’t just leave Kale or Uncle Harry when you went away. You left me too.”
My heart hurt for him.
“And I’m sorry for hurting you, but I didn’t know what else to do at the time. I couldn’t be here. It was too hard.”
Lochlan blinked. “And now?”
I frowned. “And now I don’t know how I feel. I’m a bundle of emotions with everything going on. I just need to get a handle on myself and think for a while.”
“I’ve been in a relationship with Ally for the last four years.”
Out of all the things I expected my brother to say, that was not it.
“What?” I gaped. “Four years?”
He nodded. “We’re engaged.”
Thank God I had the counter to lean against because I was sure I would have fallen over without it.
“It’s not just shagging, as you so nicely put it. I love her, and she loves me.”
I blinked dumbly.
“We’re getting married next June,” Lochlan continued, “and I – we – want you at the wedding.”
I looked away from my brother then, but he shot forward and got in my face.
“Don’t do that! Don’t turn away from me. If you’re not going to come to my wedding, then say it to my face.”
I was shocked to the core when I saw unshed tears, real tears, sitting in my brother’s eyes.
“I just forgave her for everything she did to me when we were younger, but I don’t exactly like her, Lochlan. How can I stand in a church and pretend like I do?” I asked, my eyes searching his.
Lochlan’s gaze lost some of its intensity, and his lip quirked. “You can sit down the back if it helps?”
I was surprised when a laugh burst out of me. Lochlan laughed too. Then, without warning, he put his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug.
“You’re still the biggest pain in my arse, little sister, but you’ve always been my number-one girl; you know that, right? I love you to death, and I’ve missed you with all of my heart.”
Tears fell from my eyes as I hugged him back.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry for leaving you.”
Lochlan squeezed me tightly.
“Congratulations,” I said then as I pulled back from our hug. “I mean it. I’m happy for you.”
Lochlan winked at me. “Thanks, kid.”
I teasingly grinned. “I’ll have to share Lochlan’s number-one-girl title it seems.”
He smiled wide. “Yeah, it appears to be that way.”
I got serious then and said, “If she ever hurts you, you tell me, and I’ll hunt her down and kick her arse.”
Lochlan almost doubled over from laughing, and it caused my lip to twitch.
“I’m glad you find it amusing, but I’m dead serious.”
He laughed harder.
I nudged him. “I’m going to kick your arse if you don’t bring it down a notch.”
Lochlan tried to compose himself.
“I’m sorry, Rambo,” he snickered. “I’ll keep your offer in mind. I’ll just have to pray Ally never hurts me.”
I rolled my eyes at him, smiling, before going in for another hug.
“So you’ll be here for my wedding?” he asked.
I nodded against his chest. “Do you think Mum or Nanny would let me miss it?”
He pulled back from me, thought on it, then smirked.
“They’d personally go over to New York and put you on a plane home.”
They would – that was God’s honest truth.
I cringed. “I can only imagine.”
Lochlan smiled at me, then leaned in and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes, then reopened them and looked up at him. “Are we cool?”
He gazed at me for a moment and said, “Yeah, Lane, we’re cool. I’m tired of being angry with you. I know it’s because I just miss you and worry for you, but if you want to live abroad, then I’m going to deal with that. Things will change between us, I promise.”
He hugged me again, and just like that, the tension between Lochlan and myself disappeared. It felt damn good too. I pulled back from my brother when I heard the sound of a throat clearing, and froze when I saw Kale standing in the open kitchen doorway, his hands in his trouser pockets. His lifeless eyes were trained on me.
“Lane?” Kale’s voice murmured quietly.
Oh, God.
“How . . . how long have you been standing there?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
He licked his lower lip. “Long enough.”
Did he hear everything I said about him? I panicked. Fuck.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “I have to go.”
I needed to get away from everyone and be on my own. I pushed myself away from Lochlan and practically ran by Kale, only to be brought to a halt next to the sitting room when a bo
dy stepped out in front of me.
“You aren’t going anywhere!” This voice belonged to my father.
I refused to look at anyone.
“I meant I’m going to my hotel room. I promised Mum and Nanny I’d stick around to help with Uncle Harry’s house and his belongings. I’m not skipping town – I just want to be on my own for a while.”
My father didn’t budge. “You can be alone up in your room, you don’t have to—”
“Sweetie, let her go,” my mother said softly.
I wasn’t so surprised to hear her say that. I looked up and found her in the doorway of the parlour, watching me through exhausted eyes.
“We’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked me.
I nodded my head.
“Then go on to the inn and get some sleep, sweetheart.”
I walked over to my mother, gave her a big hug and kissed her cheek.
“I love you – you know that, right?” I whispered in her ear.
She nodded and squeezed me tightly. “I love you too, darling.”
I turned then and headed towards the front door of my parents’ house but froze when his voice spoke.
“I’ll walk you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “I’ll be fine.”
I felt him behind me.
“I wasn’t asking for permission, Lane.”
Oh, damn.
I licked my lips. “I can’t be alone with you right now.”
Kale rounded on me and got in my space, not caring that everyone in my family was behind us, watching with intent.
“Deal. With. It.”
How? I wanted to scream. How the hell can I deal with anything when it comes to you?
I exhaled. “Kale—”
“Lane.”
I set my jaw and looked up at him. “Why do you have to be so difficult?”
He shrugged. “It gets results when it comes to you.”
What the hell does that mean? I frowned.
I shook my head. “You’re being a complete arsehole right now for no reason. You realise that, don’t you?”
His lip quirked. “I’m aware of it, yes.”
I ignored the snickers from behind us.
Kale’s eyes showed that he wasn’t backing down on his offer to walk me to the inn, so I shook my head, pushed past him and opened the front door.