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“So tell me,” I pressed, refusing to give him room to retreat. “Give me the exact blueprint on how you mastered your grief over losing Vanya.”
The room fell silent. My heart was like a jackhammer in my chest, beating wildly. I’d finally named the elephant. He shifted back, shoulders tightening, his fingers curling around the edge of the mattress as though he suddenly needed to anchor himself.
His gaze darted anywhere but my face. He looked cornered—caged. There wasn’t an answer he could give that didn’t condemn his own argument.
“That’s what I fucking thought. How does this sound? I’ll move on, when you do.”
I held his gaze. The words hung between us, brutal in their honesty.
“Which, let’s be real, will never happen. So do us both a favor here…” I pointed toward the bedroom door “…and do as I said, get the fuck out.”
His face drained of color. Fresh tears blurred my vision.
“Isabella, I didn’t say I had all the answers. I just meant—”
The rage finally burst free.
“I don’t care what you meant,” I screamed and he flinched.
My voice broke completely, and my breathing turned ragged.
“I’ve lost more than you can possibly know. I don’t even have memories to fall back on like you do. Go away with your failed logic. I don’t want your advice. I don’t need your advice,” I screamed.
“Sissy,” he started, his face ashen now. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” I stared at him in disbelief. “Sorry?” I shook my head slowly. “Got it. You’re a selfish asshat.”
My temples throbbed relentlessly, each heartbeat sending another pulse of pain through my skull. My ribs protested every breath I took, and the exhaustion settling into my bones felt immeasurable.
Healing was hard enough without reliving the worst day of my life, because my brother refused to see what stood right in front of him.
This was exactly what I’d been afraid of. I’d kept my relationship hidden because somewhere deep down I’d known how he’d react. I’d prayed I was wrong. Instead, he’d proven every fear I’d carried from the very beginning.
“I loved him with everything in me. You think you know what love is?”
He flinched.
“You have zero idea.”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt. My eyes burned with fresh tears.
“The love you felt for Vanya was cute. It was innocent. It was that of a child, a love-struck teen. You know nothing of real intimate love. The love between a man and a woman.”
He stared at me. I could actually see the words hitting him. One. After another. After another.
“That’s not fair,” he stammered, gulping.
I sat up straighter, every muscle in my body tightening. More lectures. Wonderful. I laughed. It was a horrible sound. I looked him dead in the eye.
“He betrayed me. He promised he wouldn’t do anything with you. He lied.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck, Sebastian. Don’t you see that?”
My hand shot blindly toward the bedside table. My fingers closed around the first thing they found. The paperback. Before I even realized what I was doing, I hurled it across the bed.
Sebastian jerked backward on instinct as it sailed past his shoulder, struck the bedroom wall with a dull smack, and crumpled onto the floor between us.
Neither of us moved. The sound echoed through the room before being swallowed by silence.
