Page 73 of I Knew You
Her lips pursed. “Fine. I think you guys should get together and quit denying what’s happening. You need to realize she wouldn’t be at your house if she didn’t want to be. She has a perfectly awesome house to stay in while she’s here. I’m assuming she has some sort of support system wherever she lived before. She doesn’t need you. She wants you. Can you not see that?”
I blew out a breath. “It makes sense, in theory, but she also wants to use my insurance.”
“Considering she came to your house before your insurance was even a question, I’m confident that’s not playing into her decision-making right now.” My sister scooped up the last of her eggs and let the fork fall with a clatter on the ceramic plate. “The history between you all is thick, but perhaps it’s time to make some new memories. You should go for it.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s complicated.”
“You think you’re not good enough.”
Her quick words were like an ice pick to my brain. But then again, she had our father in her, which meant she was cunning and perceptive. I should have known she’d read me.
“IknowI’m not good enough for her,” I replied.
“You’re exasperating, you know that? You’re handsome, well-off, smart, capable, and selfless. How could you possibly believe Julianna doesn’t want that?”
I shrugged. “I’m not terrible. But Julianna is different. All these years, I thought of her, and I told myself I was idolizingher. But this last week, I’ve seen her flaws, and they pale in comparison to her beauty, warmth, and talent.”
“Talent?”
I took a drink of my sweet tea. “Yeah, she’s a writer. She carries her laptop all around the house. She’s not let me read anything yet, but I remember she was so good at it when we were in school. She was great at her social media marketing job, too, and that company let her go, the idiots.” Melanie smiled, and I kept going. “She gets nervous around crowds, but she’s so friendly, always smiling at everyone. It takes a level of comfort to bring it out, but she’s witty and interesting. And best of all, she and Lakey have bonded from the second they met, and I trust my dog.”
“Over any person, of course.” Melanie laughed. “She sounds amazing. You should bone her.”
“I swear to God, Mel?—”
“At least tell her how you feel. Make it clear you care for her and that you’ll always be there for her, even if she doesn’t want you the same way. And that you want to bone her.”
My sister was killing me.
But maybe…just maybe…she was right.
“I should never have agreed to this,” she continued. “I should have insisted you go home and climb into bed with your wife.” Her smile was wide and bright.
“Nobody is climbing into anything with anyone,” I muttered, leaning back as the waitress delivered our pumpkin pies, along with the piece I’d ordered to take back to Julianna. It would be part of my peace offering. “Whit is going to be so mad about the marriage. He hasn’t responded to our calls and texts yet. I don’t know if they have him on lockdown or what, but he called last week and warned me off her.”
She scoffed, waving a hand in dismissal. “Whit is all hot air and fancy pants. He has no control over his sister or you.”
I knocked my fork casually against the table. “Yeah. Well. You don’t know him.”
“Yeah, well,” she mocked, “I have a feeling he’s just a man and that means he’s not very smart and shouldn’t be trusted.” She took a bite of pie and then moaned much too loudly.
“Jesus, that was disgusting,” I grumbled. She pointed her fork at me.
“It’s too good not to make noises,” she replied, swallowing, then going in for bite two. But she stopped midway and pointed her fork at me again. “Listen, we don’t have to talk about it. And I can’t make you do what I want. But be happy, Bram. You might have grown up rich, but you were dealt a shitty hand in the ways that mattered. You deserve to have happiness now.”
My throat was too tight with emotion, and I loathed the feelings. I shook my head. “I’ve done many things you don’t know about, Mel.”
She smiled. “We all have. Quit thinking you’re special because you’ve been through some stuff.”
She was goading me a little, but shame crept in. Mel had been through more in her life than I could fathom. While I was growing up in the most prominent house in the county, she was living on a backwoods compound with her abusive cousin and religious nutjob of an aunt. She was scarred emotionally and physically. I couldn’t see them, but she’d told me about them the same night I’d first told her about Julianna, the night at the winery.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have insinuated you haven’t felt pain.”
She waved her hand. “Come off it. You’re changing the subject. Whit’s problems are his problems. He’ll come around, or he won’t.”
