Julian’s brows pull together. He steps closer, placing his hands on my shoulders. “But it was a little bit our fault. Wecould’ve been more clear about our intentions and feelings. We could’ve reassured you. I realize now, looking back, that we were this dynamic force that sort of came into your life like a tornado.”
“That’s exactly what you did,” I tell him, my voice soft as one of my hands cups his cheek.
“It was very easy for us to make you feel left out unintentionally. But never again. I should’ve noticed the night at Inferno, when you pulled away. I saw it, and I told myself it was nothing. I won’t miss it next time. Okay?” he asks, turning his head and kissing my wrist. “If Sophie and I realized one thing over the past month, it’s not how much you add to our marriage, but rather how much you were always meant to be with us. With her. With… me.”
His voice breaks on the last word, and I swallow as his eyes turn glassy.
“Yeah, I’m beginning to realize that, too,” I tell him.
Just as he starts to drag my face closer to his, my phone vibrates in my pocket.
“Sorry, one sec,” I say, pulling it out. “It’s my brother, Chase.”
“Take it. I’ll wait for you on the couch and try not to kidnap Willy.”
I laugh at this as I walk into my bedroom. The faint sound of Julian’s footsteps retreating follows me.
“Hey. So, is it done?”
Chase chuckles. “Oh, it’s done.”
There’s something weary in his voice, laced with satisfaction. I sit on the edge of my bed, resting my elbows on my knees.
“How bad was it?”
“Bad enough,” he says, sighing. “Rod’s off the board, effective immediately. We’ll frame it as him stepping down for ‘personal reasons,’ to save face, but I made it clear that he didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
I let out a sigh of relief, and my shoulders immediately feel less heavy. “Thanks, Chase. I mean it.”
“You don’t have to thank me. You may be older than me, but it’s my job to protect you. Even when you’re too stubborn to protect yourself. Remember when Dad kicked me out of the house for wrecking his car?” Chase’s voice softens.
I huff a laugh. “Yeah. I covered for your sorry ass until he found out the next day.”
“You didn’t have to. But you did, because you’re my older brother. I owe you, and this is just me paying you back. I’ll keep doing it, Kai. As many times as it takes.”
The weight of his words lingers between us. “Thanks.” Rubbing my mouth, I let out a heavy sigh. “So, what did he say?”
“Rod? Oh, he was flustered. Talked about Saint Helena’s moral values and some bullshit about setting examples. He claimed he was thinking of the school’s reputation. As if Saint Helena would ever be associated with that kind of intolerance.”
“Right,” I say, my voice light.
“He crossed a line, Kai,” Chase says, his voice harder now. “Not just with what he said about you or how he handled the situation with Bradleigh Evans, but also how he tried to wield his bigotry like a weapon. I told him there’s no room on the board for someone who can’t uphold the basic dignity of every student and staff member. I mean, you know why I bought the school all those years ago.”
“Jackson,” I murmur, thinking of his best friend, who was still on paternity leave with his husband and newly adopted son.
“And now my brother.”
My throat feels tight all of a sudden, but Chase continues. “Anyway, you know how Rod is. He tried to turn it back on me, calling me hypocritical for ‘silencing the opposition,’ while placating me with Bible verses. So, I taught him a lesson on tolerance.”
I huff a laugh. “Oh no. You lectured him? He hates that.”
“Damn right I did. He wanted to talk about values, so I threw it right back in his face. I told him it’s not about silencing dissent; it’s safeguarding decency. He didn't like that, and when he tried to push back, I… well, let’s just say I didn’t mince words about how Saint Helena would look in the media if it came out that a board member was using homophobia as leverage.”
I bark a laugh. “You’re ruthless.”
“I’m thorough,” he corrects over the phone. “And I’d do it all again for you. For any of you, actually. That’s what brothers are for.”
The line goes quiet for a moment, both of us letting the situation settle before us. Then Chase speaks again, softer this time.
