Page 92 of What Remains

“And she’s asking me to come watch a movie with her so she can relax before bed.”

She smiles. “You two watch movies together all the time, right?”

I nod.

“So, what’s the problem?”

I close my eyes. “The problem is something’s changed these last few days.” If I’m being honest with myself, it changed a long damn time ago, but I refused to see it.

“Of course it has. You two already went through something heavy with the crash, and now this.”

“No, it’s not that.” Don’t think it is.

“You’re into her, right?” she asks, and I open my eyes but keep my mouth shut. “I’ve known that since my wedding. The way you two were dancing—it was obvious.” She innocently lifts her shoulders and grins. “This isn’t new.”

I stare up at the ceiling. “I’m struggling to keep myself in check. Didn’t have that problem before.”

“Why are you suddenly⁠—”

“Because I’m fairly certain she’s giving me the green fucking light that she wants me, too,” I bite out, knowing damn well my sister hates cursing. But I’ve got a sailor’s mouth, just like her husband. I should probably work on that. Maybe one day.

“Wait, you didn’t think she wanted you before?”

I lazily roll my head to the side to peer at her. “Nope. Just thought it was friendly teasing shit, I don’t know.” I can’t believe I’m going to say this out loud. “Maybe we’ve always had chemistry, and I just missed the signs on her end?” I admit. “But still, I figured if we acted on it, it’d be a friends-with-benefits thing since we can never be more.”

“And why can’t it be more?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” I grit out. “It may be fine now, but when I’m sixty, she’ll only be forty-seven.”

She snorts. “And?”

I ignore her and continue, “I’m friends with her father, so there’s that. And, like I just said, I’m also her friend and we work together. I don’t want to fuck that up. Look at the damage I already caused when I tucked tail and took off after the accident.”

“We all make mistakes,” she says softly. “And you came back.” She holds up a hand to stop the denial she knows I’m about to give her. “Don’t give me some garbage about you’re only back because of the case, and you wouldn’t have returned otherwise.” She rests her hand on top of mine and whispers, “Wow.”

“Wow to what? That I’m a fool?” I face her, shooting her a self-deprecating smile.

“No, that’s not . . .” Her voice trails off, and she blinks a few times. “Sorry, I had a delayed reaction to something you said.”

“Which part? Said a lot.”

“That you want to marry her.”

She’s not asking. She’s stating that as a fact. And now I’m even more confused.

Marry? “When did I say that?”

Her brows shoot to her forehead, and she returns her hands to her lap as I replay the exchange, trying to understand what I said to give her that idea.

It clicks a few seconds later than it should have—the sixty-year-old comment.

Before I can say anything, I look over to see Constantine carefully opening the door. He shuts it behind him and walks over, gripping the back of his neck in the process. “Everything okay?”

I drag my hands through my hair, trying to process what I accidentally said: I want Gwen to be my forever.

“No.” My voice breaks on that one word as I stand. “Not even a little bit.”

“Wait up.” At Constantine’s request, I stop in the hallway outside my door. I thought I successfully escaped without him trying to co-parent me alongside my sister, but I guess I’m not that lucky. Cursed is more like it, considering how I feel about my friend’s daughter.