Page 93 of Only for Love

“Where’s Ryan?” asks Emma.

Laura tilts her head toward the stairs. “He was in his old room. Some work call he had to take.”

Cally hollers for her grandparents, and George nods. “That’s us.”

“I’ll catch you in a minute.” I kiss Emma’s cheek. “Something I have to do.”

She grabs onto me. “No, you don’t. Ryan’s being an ass.”

“Gotta do it, baby.”

“I guess.” She rolls her eyes but heads toward the sound of Cherry and Cally. I turn for the stairs, taking two at a time, and it’s not lost on me how comfortable I am here yet how much tension I’m carrying in my shoulders. The first room is Emma’s old bedroom—a place that taunted me all through high school—and then Ryan’s. The door’s cracked, the light is on, and I’m ready to talk this shit out.

I knock once and nudge it open with my boot. He’s sitting on his bed, phone in hand. When his face turns, I’m caught off guard by how different he looks since the last time we hung out. His face says the same thing about me.

“Hey.” I walk in.

Ryan stands, pocketing his phone in his jeans. “Heard you were back.”

“Back. For good.”

“Right.” He scoffs. “When you hurt her again, I’m going to fuck your world up, Ford.”

Ford. “We were tight like brothers, and that’s how it’s going to be? I didn’t know that,Kingsley.”

“You just peaced out. And no one heard from you again? Shady.”

I shake my head. “If I couldn’t talk to her, no one else in Summerland mattered.”

“She’s my baby sister.” His brows pinch tight. The harsh lines around his eyes are stressed.

“She’s myworld.”

Ryan’s mouth opens, but he shakes his head.

I take a step forward. “Not that it’s your damn business, but I thought I was doing what was best for her. She didn’t need to be tied down to some stupid piece of trailer trash like me that wasn’t getting out of this county unless Uncle Sam paid for it. Ithoughtshe was partying it up, doing college shit, taking pictures, and doing normal-life stuff. I didn’t know.”

“You never called her. Never came back. Surely your sorry ass got leave, got—”

“Shut up, Ryan.” Emma’s firm voice surprises me as it bleeds through the room. He and I both missed her hovering at the door. “I made Grayson promise he’d never tell me goodbye. And again, Ry, this isn’t your business to butt into.”

Ryan starts, “It’s—”

“But since you need to hear it again, ItoldGrayson never to tell me goodbye. Right after I told himexactlywhat I wanted from him. You get no further explanation from me or him, Ryan. Okay? Make up, and get over it. It’s my birthday, and I swear I’m not going to deal with this from you.”

“Emma—” Ryan and I both say.

She snuggles under my arm, and I latch on to her, lines clearly drawn.

“I don’t need you fighting my battles.” She leans into me. “Certainly not with my brother.”

I could say the same thing about Ryan. “This isn’t just about you, Ems. It’s about us. I’mdonewith anyone thinking it was a one-sided situation.”

Ryan focuses on her. “I want what’s best for you.”

Cally flies into the room. “Unc Ry-ry!”

Emma snakes her arm around Cally in one deft move, lifting her on to her hip. “How do you not see that this is what’s best for me?”

Ryan’s gaze moves from Emma to Cally and lands on me. “Hurt her again and—” His phone buzzes, and he quickly flips it open, reads the screen, and replaces it. “Hurt anyone again, and we’re going to have problems.”

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