Page 176 of The Right Move

We’ve never been on the same page, have we?

“Stevie.” Putting my hands on my head, I turn around and pace my bedroom, trying to take deep enough breaths to fill my lungs. “Stevie, I fucked up. Indy came home so excited to tell me something, and I thought it was hers. I didn’t handle it well. She thought I was going to ask if she did it on purpose. I don’t think I was going to ask that, but I’m not entirely sure I wasn’t.”

“No, Ryan.”

“Everything with Marissa came flooding back and I got scared. I freaked out. And she was so hurt. She didn’t even cry, Vee. She just looked at me as if I completely betrayed her. I did. I think I did betray her. This is everything she wants, and I made her feel like I didn’t.”

My sister’s hands hide her face. “Ryan, Indy probably can’t get pregnant on her own.”

“I know that! God, I’m an idiot. I wasn’t thinking.”

She closes her eyes, pained. “She must be so upset.”

“I made her feel like I don’t want the same future she does. She probably thinks I’ve been stringing her along this entire time with no plans to give her the life she wants.”

“Are you?” Stevie asks softly. “Ryan, I love you. You mean more to me than anyone in the world, but if there’s even an ounce of you that doesn’t want the same things she does, then you have to let her go. She’s wasted too much time with someone who strung her along, and I can’t let you do that to her again.”

As much as Stevie is my other half, there are things not even she knows. Steps I’ve taken to give Indy the future she wants. The future I want too. I’ve always wanted a family but knowing I could do it at the same time as my sister, coupled with that quick but fleeting belief Indy was pregnant, I want it now more than ever.

“I would never let us get to this point if I wasn’t on the same page. I saw what she went through, and I’d never do that to her.”

Stevie nods.

“I need to go find her. Talk to her. Apologize. Do you think she went to your place?”

“I doubt it. You know how smart she is. I’m sure she put it together that it was my test right away. I think I know where she could be, but Ryan, I need to talk to her first.”

Wrapping my sister up again, I kiss the top of her curly head of hair. “I really am so happy for you, Vee. You’re going to be an incredible mom, and Zanders will be one hell of a dad.”

“So will you, Ryan. When the time comes.” She holds on tighter. “And in the meantime, you’re going to be the greatest uncle. I know it.”

40

INDY

Rio’s house reeks of boy.

There are piles of laundry and empty beer cans decorating his place, and the house was bursting with noise while he and three more guys from the hockey team played Xbox on the giant screen in his home theater.

I can’t complain, though. As soon as he opened the front door and saw my bloodshot eyes, he kicked his teammates out and got me a fresh set of sheets for the guest bedroom.

“Ind, you’ve got a visitor,” Rio says from the doorway.

Laying on the bed even though it’s mid-morning, I keep my back to the door. “I don’t want to talk to Ryan.”

“How about me?”

Peeking over my shoulder at the sound of Stevie’s voice, I find her leaning on the doorframe with Rio. Her bouncy curls are lively, but those eyes that match her twin only remind me of the fear I saw in his this morning.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forget the absolute terror on Ryan’s face, and I couldn’t be more thankful that it wasn’t my test. As much as I want a family, I’d rather be alone than have my partner feel trapped with me.

“You’ll do.”

A smile tugs at her lips as Rio leaves us alone.

Stevie climbs into the bed behind me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

“This is nice,” I sigh. “Your brother always calls little spoon.”

---