Page 61 of Only Ever You

With a giggle, I pull the covers over both of us and lose myself in Deacon’s love. This is my happiness.

It’s how I want to spend the rest of my life.

* * *

Lucas glowers at me an hour later when I finally emerge from the bedroom.

“I thought we were going early this morning. The traffic will be insane. It’s Christmas Eve.”

I pop a kiss on his cheek as I sit at the kitchen table beside him. “But then you get to spend even more time with your baby sister while we sit in that traffic.”

He fights it, but then he barks out a laugh. “Only you could come up with that.”

“I can skip breakfast and we’ll go now.”

Mum plants her hands on her hips. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“We’ll grab something while we’re out.”

“Is Deacon okay with you coming with me?” Lucas asks.

I shift my gaze back to him. “He’s fine. You’re my brother. Let’s go.”

It’s not a long drive into the city centre, but Lucas was right. The traffic is crazy and there are people everywhere.

Lucas grumbles from the driver’s seat, but I ignore him in the excitement of being home.

It seems to take forever to find a park, and when we do, he grumbles again about it being so far from the shops we want to go to.

But I remind him that at least we’re spending time together again.

“I don’t need much. There are just a few small things I wanted to grab for tomorrow.” I undo my seatbelt. “To be honest, I also wanted to spend a little time with you. But it’s still hard, you know?”

Lucas nods. “I feel that Deacon’s being polite, but that’s about it. Not that I can blame him. I’d really like us to find a way back to being friends.”

I bite my bottom lip. “I can’t see that happening, Lucas. At least, not any time soon.”

“Well, I’m here if he wants to talk. There are some things that he probably needs to know.”

I frown. “Like what?”

“Things he needs to hear. I want to share with him first. No offence.”

Swallowing hard, I nod and open the car door. I always knew there was more than what Lucas had told us, but he closed down after the immediate fallout and refused to talk about it.

It’s not a topic I enjoy talking over with Deacon either.

We traipse from shop to shop and once I’ve found everything I need, I give Lucas the heads-up so we can go back to the car.

“Do you wanna grab some lunch?” he asks.

I pull out my phone and check the time. It’s just before midday, and we’ve already been out longer than I planned to. But I don’t get a lot of chances to spend time with my brother, and with things still awkward between him and Deacon, I’m not sure when the next opportunity will be. “That sounds great. Anywhere you feel like going?”

“There’s a cafe just up the road that I like.”

I wave my hand in the direction that he points to. “Lead on.”

It’s been a while since I’ve been home. Lucas went to uni and then came back to work for Dad’s construction business.

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