Page 68 of A Sudden Romance

“How’d you know I was here?”

Her words barely rose above her breath as if she didn’t have the energy to speak. Only her siblings could trample her like that—Julia the most. “You always come here when you get upset.”

“You almost know me more than anyone else does.”

He knew her far too much, and it terrified him. Feeling he held something frightfully fragile, he let his body support her.

“Hmm... A couple of times you followed me here and asked if I was okay.”

She remembered? His chest swelled. Speaking of which, he reached into his pants pockets, and the bag crunched as he retrieved the packet of gummy bears. “I brought you something.”

A wobbly smile lifted her face as she sat up. “My favorite candies. Thank you.”

She ripped open the bag and held it out in front of him. He grabbed one and put it in his mouth. He didn’t favor the gooey taste, but anything with Iris, he was willing to try.

“Do you think I’m spoiled?” Her fingers hovered in the bag.

“Why would you say that?”

Iris shrugged. “Being the youngest and all. Everyone thinks I can’t do anything for myself. Nobody sees me for who—”

“I see you,” he cut her off, hoping he could sum up everything she was to him and to her family. “You’re not spoiled.”

Turning to face her, he cupped a palm to her cheek, his thumb nearly brushing her tear-red eyes. “By now, you should know you’re not just the youngest in the family. You are the grand finale in the Stone family.”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure that means anything if I’m forever seen as the baby, forever teased and protected—and apparently, resented for that.”

“Your siblings adore you. Even Julia.”

She snorted. Her nose scrunched up before she plucked a yellow gummy bear and popped it into her mouth.

“You have a different background from theirs, which makes you the perfect sister. You’ve shown them what it truly is to love and care for someone, and I’d say they baby you, not because they don’t think you’re capable of taking care of yourself but because they need you to stay so sweet and innocent—a bright spot in their lives. Your upbeat personality, always ready to give selflessly, has taught me how love should be. And I’m sure it’s taught your siblings as well.”

“Not Julia.” Without looking up, she rummaged for another yellow gummy bear. No doubt, the rainbow-colored bag would be missing a primary color soon.

“Julia means well.” Sure, she could be envious of Iris at times for more reasons than the fact that Iris was happy, the opposite of Julia. It could be hard to see someone having the perfect pampered life after you’d experienced tragedy. “But when things don’t go well for her, it’s easier to blame you.”

Iris stilled. The bag crinkled as she lowered it to her lap and peered at him with fawn-like brown eyes. “Because I’m the youngest?”

“No. Because she’s most comfortable with you. She can be happy around you because she trusts you’ll never hurt her. Unfortunately, she’s also comfortable enough to unleash all her emotions on you—and knows you’ll take it.”

She tossed a handful of gummy bears in her mouth and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Tell me something good, Sabastian.” She put her feet on the concrete floor and one of the large shoes slid off her sock-clad foot.

Sabastian chuckled as he picked up the shoe—one of her brothers’—and put her foot back in.

“I don’t want to think about Julia right now.”

Something good he had to remind her was how she’d always been an important figure in her family’s life. “Remember when Julia couldn’t find an agent at the beginning of her career?”

“Yeah, she was mad at everyone.”

“But you reached through to her. You hate karaoke, but you took her to karaoke.”

“I assume you drove us that night?”

“Steve did, but I overheard you making your plans.”

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