Page 252 of Tell Me Something True

She needed the contact. His steadiness. His support.

She needed him.

They walked down the empty hallway toward the elevators. She hadn’t planned on coming here tonight. Had thought she’d take a few days before she spoke with her mother again. Tell her supervisor their relationship and why she couldn’t take her on as a client.

She couldn’t wait to live out in the open, but she’d still wanted to go back to hiding, to pretending. If only for a few more days.

But after that awful, awkward, uncomfortable conversation with Reed, hiding was no longer a possibility.

She needed to do this. Now. Tonight.

For herself.

And for her brother.

She had a brother.

She had no idea how she felt about that. But she had a good idea about Reed’s feelings.

He didn’t want a sister.

He didn’t want her.

As if sensing her thoughts, Miles gave her hand a gentle, comforting squeeze, then pushed the UP button. She leaned her head against his arm, not caring who saw them.

He gave her way too much credit. Thinking she could have done this on her own. His being by her side, his hand gripped so tightly in hers, his solid, steady presence had been what had gotten her through her conversation with Reed.

Not that there’d been much conversing. More like she’d given a Ted Talk on her history and their connection.

Reed hadn’t said a word. Not one. He’d sat there, looking so young, so stunned and heartbroken to find out that their mother had kept this secret from him.

Which had only made Tabitha more nervous.

More anxious to forge some sort of connection with this boy who was her blood.

“I messed up,” she said softly as they stepped into the elevator. “With Reed.”

“He needed to know the truth,” Miles told her after the doors shut.

She shook her head. “I said too much. Gave him too much information all at once. Did you see his expression when I told him I’d always wanted a brother?” She groaned, remembering how his face had gone so white, she’d worried he was going to pass out.

Instead, he’d lurched to his feet and walked out of the room.

“I pushed too hard,” she continued. “Went too fast.”

“Give him time. He’ll come around.”

“While that is a lovely—and hopeful—sentiment, you and I both know that people don’t always come around. They don’t behave the way we’d prefer or do what you wanted.” She paused, her voice going soft. Sad. “They don’t love you the way you deserve.”

He inclined his head as if ceding to her point. “Still, I think he might surprise you.”

“I thought you didn’t like him?”

“I don’t dislike him. I just don’t want my sister dating him. Or him spending the night anywhere near her room.”

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. They stepped out and he led her to the end of the hallway where a large window overlooked the visitor parking lot. Miles leaned against the wide sill, took hold of both her hands. “Walsh isn’t a bad kid. But he is troubled. His father’s an abusive piece of shit, but we could never get Reed or your mom to admit he abused them, and any charges we brought against him always fell through the cracks. Which meant Reed fell through the cracks.”

From the way his mouth thinned, he hated that as much as she did.

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