Fia plays with the tip of her braid. “Yeah…they moved in, but this isn’t how I wanted you to find out.”
“Find out what?”
Fia steps forward, arms resting over her belly, green eyes searching mine. “I wanted you to be proud of me. I was going to tell you about the pregnancy once I secured a pay raise at the café, once finals were done, once I had a whole plan in place. But time is moving so fast.” She grimaces, and uneasiness washes over me.
Did she rent a room to some drifter?
“Who is it, Fia?” I ask again, this time slow and clear. My hands settle on my hips like armor.
Seconds go by, and my sister just gnaws on her bottom lip.
“Is it Danny?” I ask but catch myself, because that’s impossible. Danny is still in prison. Iknowthe exact date he gets out—five months from now.
“No, it’s Jesse,” she finally whispers, and for a moment, everything goes numb. I couldn’t have heard that right. There has to be another Jesse.
But her face doesn’t waver.
My stomach flips, and I shake my head. “Fia…you didn’t.”
She nervously covers her mouth with her hand as she nods.
A wave of heat rises to my face. “How could you?”
I have to pause, remembering she doesn’t know the truth about our falling out.
Fia scoffs, her brows furrowed. “Penny, come on… It’s Jesse, not a stranger! He was your best friend and practically family! I don’t understand why you are acting like this is bad news?”
The room tilts a little, but I plant my feet.
“I know you two fell out of contact, but everything will be fine.” She offers me a cheerful smile. The same smile she gets when she’spatching holes in her thrifted jeans, like she can fix anything if she just tries hard enough.
But some things can’t be mended.
My mouth goes dry as the familiar squeak of the back door opens into the kitchen. Cold air rushes in, and I turn to look right into the green eyes of the man I never thought I’d have to see again.
He’s the reason I never came back.
The reason I don’t do relationships.
The reason I haven’t visited my twin in ten years.
He’s the only guy I’ve ever said I love you to.
The one who ripped my heart out of my chest and left me bleeding.
The one who became like a big brother to Fia.
Jesse Rivers.
And he’s looking at me like I’m a color he forgot existed.
3
Jesse
NOW
It takes maybe two seconds to register that the amber eyes staring back at me belong to Penny Hanson. And then it takes roughly one more second to notice the stunned disbelief carved into her face.
