Page 56 of Unconditional

A new hurt pierced my chest but I schooled my features.“I guess I assumed she had been the catalyst.”

It was easier to blame someone else than to think that my brother would choose to leave his family behind of his own volition.To leavemebehind.He seemed to recognize my statement for what it was.

“No.If anything, Birdie kept me in Wisconsin longer.I didn’t want to do it anymore.Be Kyle’s lackey, at the beck and call of him and Bri.Of you.”

My hands balled into fists on my thighs in a sad attempt to hold back the angry betrayal I felt.I didn’t have the right to feel it.He was right.“I just thought…well, I guess I didn’t realize how planned out this had been.”

“The only thing I hadn’t planned on doing was turning Kyle in.That cameafterBirdie.When she reminded me that one way or another Kyle was always going to keep fucking up my life if I didn’tdosomething about it.I had a choice to make.Reclaim my life, turn him in, and have the love of my life with me.Or run away, become a fugitive, and leave her and any chance we had at happiness behind.You know the choice I made.”

I could see in his eyes the message he was sending.That I had a choice to make too.“It doesn’t feel like a choice to me, brother.”

"Why not?"His feet dropped to the floor with a heavy thud as he leaned forward, meeting my gaze directly.“I said the same thing to Birdie, you know?But I was wrong.Wealwayshave a choice.”

“Yeah, but there’s a kid involved now.”

His expression only grew more serious.“Exactly.There is a kid involved.So man up, take care of your responsibilities, andprotecthim.And let me clue you in, big brother—giving Kyle what he wants will not be protecting Leo.It’ll only give him incentive to continue weaponizing him.You and I both know he won’t stop at some light stalking.”

Milo held my stare, clearly trying to drive his point home.“The only way you can ensure that your son doesn’t become Kyle’s next victim is to stop Kyle.Period.So, youdohave a choice.”Holding his palms up, he raised one.“Keep playing into his hands like you’ve done for years.Let him continue to use you, let him ruin every great thing I have built for myself here, every great thingyoumight ever build, and let him threaten your son and his family.”Then he raised the opposite palm.“Or…” He sat back again, weaving his fingers together on his chest.“Help me help you.Helpallof us.Kyle will go away for good.And you’ll have your own chance at building a real life for yourself.”

forty

Misely

Itwashardnotto be in constant awe of the little world that Birdie and Milo had created for themselves.After the two men had left to go visitNina’s, Birdie let me in on the fact that Milo wasnota mere bar manager.He owned the bar outright, and had just wanted to yank his brother’s chain a little.I was highly impressed and deeply proud of Milo, who had been saving up money for years to start over, and now had everything to show for that labor.

Birdie had taken me on a drive into town, pointing out the booming bar as we drove past and beaming with her own intense pride.Not just for the bar, but for everything around us.“The summer wasn’t too bad honestly, it never really got over eighty-five degrees, and this is about as cold as it gets here,” she said, pulling her little yellow VW Beetle into the parking lot of what appeared to be a florist shop.

I cracked a grin.“So you’re telling me it’s not a replica of your own personal hell?”Birdie had loathed me eternally when I convinced her to move back to my home state of Wisconsin after college and was met with the ungodly heat and humidity of Midwestern summers.She’d been wanting a neutral landing ground after being raised on one coast and then going to school along another, and I had taken her somewhere that was in its own right just as miserable.Then when winter rolled around she learned a new kind of hatred for me.

I guess it was easy to forget to mention that if you don’t like hot summers, you would probably hate frigid, near arctic winters just as much (or maybe more so).

She jabbed me in my ribs with a smile before opening the door of the shop, a tiny bell above rang to announce our arrival.“Come on, I want to introduce you to someone.”

Damn.It was so much more than a floral shop.Sure, there were gorgeous bouquets of flowers and flourishing plants scatteredeverywhere, but there were also beautifully crafted paintings, jars of herbs, crystals, books, and what looked to be handcrafted pottery.Just as a thin woman stepped out from behind a curtained doorway, I caught the label on one of the jars of herbs.

‘Hand Foraged by Birdie’s Botanical’

I looked at her and she winked, but before she could say anything, the woman behind the counter greeted her with a loud welcome.

“Alisha!I didn’t think you’d be stopping by today!”The woman came around the counter and wrapped Birdie in a warm hug, the smile lines around her soft blue eyes wrinkling further as she squeezed her.

Birdie laughed, returning the embrace.“I hadn’t planned to, but I have a visitor that I wanted to introduce you to.”

The woman’s gaze found me, and her smile brightened impossibly.“Well go on,” she said to Birdie.“Do your introductions.Even though I’m sure I can guess.”

Birdie chuckled, gesturing to me.“Kat, I’d like to introduce you to my very best friend, Misely.She’s driven all the way from Chicago to come visit with Miles’ brother, Talon.”

The older woman’s mouth stretched into a wide beam.“Two visitors in one weekend, you must be just thrilled,” she said to Birdie before turning to me.“Misely, dear, I have heard so much about you.”

My cheeks flushed.“Only good things I hope.”

Her head fell back on her shoulders and she let out a hardy laugh.“Oh, of course!My name is Katherine, but please call me Kat.”She held out her hand for me and I took it, her other coming over to squeeze mine between hers kindly.“Our sweet Allie here has been just lost without you.”

Looking to Birdie, she was smiling at us warmly.“I have been.I’m so glad to have you here, Mize.”

"The feeling is completely mutual."I felt my eyes go watery, but I blinked away the sudden moisture gathered there.“So!”I said, needing to shake off some of the excess emotion and change the subject.“Tell me what you do here.”It was said to both of them, because it was obvious that Birdie had some involvement in this store.

“Well mostly, I sell plants,” Kat said, waving a hand around the room.“But Allie has really helped me broaden my horizons this year.”

---