Page 26 of Beautiful Exile

“Arden.”

“I like her name.”

“Me, too.”

Those pale green eyes twinkled, but there was also sadness there. The type that had my gut churning. “Miss you, ConCon,” she whispered.

Hell.

“You could come out,” I suggested.

She shook her head, her loose waves shifting around her shoulders. “There’s too much to do for the wedding.”

The muscles in my shoulder blades tightened, making me sit up straighter. When I didn’t speak, Ellie hurried on. “Dad said you’re coming back for it. I’m really glad. I can’t imagine getting married without you there.”

My back teeth ground together. “El…”

Her face fell. “You’re not coming.”

“I can’t. You know it wouldn’t be good.” I could deal with my asshat of a father for Ellie, if she were marrying someone I knew she was head over heels in love with. But Bradley wasn’t that. He was the son of a longtime family friend who worked for his father’s hedge fund. I wasn’t sure they had a single thing in common.

Ellie had started dating him after our dad’s none-too-subtle nudging. When she tried breaking it off, Dad made his displeasure clear, and she’d caved in a matter of weeks, going right back to Bradley.

“I know he’s a hard man,” Ellie said softly. “But he’s the only parent we have left. Losing Mom was bad enough. I don’t want to lose him, too. Or you.”

White-hot pain lit along my sternum. If she only knew the truth. But it carried a weight I didn’t want Ellie to shoulder. So, I said the only thing I could. “You’ll never lose me. Never.”

“It feels like I already am.”

Each word was a blow. One she didn’t realize inflicted the worst kind of pain.

“El, I love you more than anyone on this planet, but I can’t be a part of that world for you. It was killing me.”

Everything about it had slowly strangled the life out of me. Dad was a huge part of that, but it was more. The oppressive weight of expectation, the pressure of perfection, and the quest for more. More money. More power. More prestige.

It was part of why I’d founded my company, Gardien. I was looking for a way to do business that enabled me to help people while still succeeding. I’d needed to prove to myself that it was possible. That you didn’t have to tear others down to get ahead.

Pain flashed across Ellie’s features. “Sorry, ConCon. I know. I just… I miss you.”

Fuck.

“Tell you what. How about after the wedding and honeymoon craziness, we do a sibling trip? Just the two of us.”

She grinned at the screen, her eyes lighting. “You going to take me to Disney World like I always wanted?”

I laughed. “I think I’ll pass on endless lines and rides that are bound to make me hurl.”

“You always did have a sensitive stomach.”

I shook my head and scrubbed a hand over my stubbled cheek. “You really show no mercy.”

“That’s what little sisters are for.”

“So glad the stork dropped you on our doorstep.”

Ellie flipped her hair over her shoulder in an exaggerated motion. “As you should be.” The video cut out for a second. “Sorry, that’s Bradley. I need to jump. Love you, ConCon.”

“Love you, too, El Bell.”

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