Page 83 of The Truth About Love

“Better than I was expecting,” I tell her truthfully. “She’s only had one episode since I’ve been here and I managed to intercept her before she was able to leave the apartment.”

It was about three am one night last week. One of the motion sensors I’ve hidden around the apartment had triggered the alarm on my phone and I’d stumbled half-asleep out of my room to find her clawing at the front door to get out. After she’d finally regained her lucidness and gone back to bed, the tortured vacancy I’d seen in her eyes had haunted my dreams for the rest of the night.

But aside from that one occasion, the stability of her condition has had me pleasantly surprised.

Winter nods thoughtfully. “Is she cutting?”

“No.” I know, because I routinely check her for fresh scars.

“Good.” She turns to face me, her fingers tapping nervously against the kitchen counter. “I should confess, I kind of had a suspicion that you being here would help her and not just because you’re looking out for her. I guess I just knew that you being back in her life was what she needed to kickstart her recovery.”

My eyes widen. “So you begging me to do this because I was the only person who could was just bullshit?”

She shakes her head. “No. Well, not completely. We probably could have worked something out, but it would have been a struggle. It’s just that even if we did have other options, I still would have asked you.”

“I feel weird about it.” I tell her, rinsing my hands over the sink just to have something to do. “Like you’ve deceived me or something.”

She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t, not really. But are you saying that if I’d told you this before then you wouldn’t have agreed to stay here?”

I stay silent because she knows the answer. No, of course I wouldn’t have shut her down. Summer-Raine needed help and I’d have given it to her no matter the reason for me being asked.

“I need to get ready for my date,” I grumble.

A gentle snore pulls our attention to the bundle of sleeping bodies still lying on the floor in the dining area. “And I need to get the boys to bed. If I don’t see you before you leave, have a good night.”

“Thanks, I will,” I say, despite knowing otherwise. “You too.”

I leave her in the kitchen and disappear to the room that’s become mine to shower and change. It takes more thought than usual to pick out my clothes for the evening. I worry needlessly over what shirt to wear, as if the colour I choose will influence how Cara will react to what I have to tell her tonight.

In the end, I opt for a linen shirt in aqua after remembering that blue is considered to be the most calming colour. I read an article once about how doctors tend to wear blue scrubs because the colour helps soothe their patients. I don’t know if there’s any scientific truth to that, but I’ve seen Cara when she’d pissed off so I’ll take all the help I can get.

The sound of feminine voices reaches me as I step out of my room and walk towards the living space. When I recognise who they belong to, my stomach twists in panic.

“You’ll have to tell me all about what Auden was like as a child,” Cara is saying. “I’ve just beendyingto hear all of his embarrassing stories.”

“Oh, um, I didn’t know Auden when he was little.” Even from here I can hear the confusion in Summer-Raine’s voice.

“Really? That’s crazy.”

I speed walk down the hallway until I’m in sight of the front door. Summer-Raine blocks my view of Cara as she stands with her back to me, her stance confident and self-assured despite her being dressed in pyjamas with one hand cocked on her hip.

“Is it?”

“Yeah. I’ve known all my cousins since I was a kid.”

“Cousins?”

Oh shit.

“Yeah. Auden told me you were cousins.”

I launch myself towards them but I’m too late.

“Um, no?” Summer-Raine looks over her shoulder and meets my wide and panicked eyes. Hers narrow in confusion. “We’re not cousins,” she says, turning back to my girlfriend.

I finally reach them, setting a hand on Summer-Raine’s waist without thinking to gently move her to the side and make room for me. Cara’s already fuming eyes follow the movement. I instantly move my hand to rest on the top of the doorframe.

“How do you know each other then?”

---