Page 137 of The Rebel

I nodded.

“More like exhausted,” she clarified.

I nodded again.

“And you don’t know which end is up.”

“It’s affecting me, Sky. Everything aches—and I mean, everything.” I released her for just a second to push on the middle of my chest. I hadn’t bothered with a bra when I changed into these clothes, but my boobs still felt constricted. How didmy brother have such an effect on me that no matter what I did, I just couldn’t get comfy. “And then, on top of it all, there’s the boutiques.”

A topic I hadn’t discussed with anyone.

Hardly even myself.

“The …what?”

“Last week, the woman I’d sold my business to reached out and asked me to buy it back. An even swap for what she’d paid me for it.” I lifted my hand to my neck, circling to the back where it met my shoulders. “She wanted to give me first dibs before she sought another buyer.” My hand lowered to my stomach, rubbing the unsettled rumbles. “I guess it’s too much for her.”

Her eyes widened as she stared at me. “Have you considered it?”

“I don’t know.”

“But you do know.”

I pushed my head further into the cushion. “Maybe it was a mistake, joining the company. Maybe it would make things easier for Cooper and me. Maybe my brother would hate me a little less?—”

“Please stop this nonsense. You love what you’re doing, and you’re good at it. And you love working with Cooper. And Rhett will come around. He’s just being ridiculous, and Rhett has a tendency of being ridiculous when he’s taken off guard and things don’t go his way.” Since my hand had finally returned to her arm, she put her fingers on top of mine. “Tell me you’re going to stay right where you are—and I’m not saying that as your accountant, who would like to inform you that it’ll be a tax nightmare to buy the business back. I’m saying that as your best friend.”

I had to make a decision fairly quickly. The buyer had mentioned she’d give me a week to think about it, two tops.

I was at the nine-day mark.

Purchasing the boutiques back would be a whole new change of pace. It would be bailing on my family, the Spades, and Jo.

Part of me thought it would be easier for everyone.

Part of me thought it was the worst thing I could ever do.

“I need to ponder it a bit more,” I admitted. “My head is so cloudy, I can’t think straight.”

“It’s because you’re on your period. Day two always makes things extra cloudy, extra irritable, andextrastabby.”

“My … period?”

“Our cycles are in sync, so, yes, you should be on day two.” She sighed. “Shit, the stress has caused you to be late, hasn’t it?” When I didn’t respond, she continued, “I’m not surprised. It’s wild what stress can do to our bodies.” She nodded toward my face. “Your period is coming though. You have the whopping zit on your forehead to prove it.” She winced. “You couldn’t cover that sucker up even if you tried, which means there’s no doubt you’ll have it by morning.”

“Fuck me, that’s probably why the desire to beat Rhett’s ass is stronger than normal.” I groaned. “See what this is all doing to me? What he’s doing to me? Even my period is sending me a sign. A sign that I should buy back?—”

“Your period is telling you that you need to put yourself first, and you haven’t done that in a while.” She squeezed my fingers. “If you’re going to work late, then you need to go for a walk during lunch and move your body. You need to take melatonin before bed, so you actually get some solid rest. And you need to book yourself a ninety-minute massage for this weekend, so you can unplug and reset.” She rested her elbow on the cushion next to my head and turned completely toward me. “Listen to me, Row. You’re not Superwoman. There’s a lot happening in your life, and you’re doing an incredible job, juggling it all, but you’re holding everything in, and look at you—you’re kind of a mess, and I say that with all the love.”

I laughed. “No. You’re right.”

“You can’t fix things with Rhett—that’s now on him. You can’t work twenty-four hours a day. You can’t make Brady adore you. And you can’t buy back a business that no longer serves you. This is who you are now.” She cupped my chin. “This is the path you’re supposed to be on, Row, and for the love of God, stop questioning it.”

TWENTY-NINE

Cooper

What the fuck?

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