Page 110 of Stolen Moments

I face my brother. It’s time. I owe it to him to share everything that’s been going on these last couple of years.

“But first, you have to promise me you won’t get mad.”

Chris twists around, mimicking my position, as Henry jumps onto the bed and sits in his lap like he, too, is waiting for me to finally spill. Chris is going to be pissed.

“Well, if you ever want someonenotto get mad, don’t start a conversation like that. Now I know it’s bad.”

My mouth waters, and I choke back the sour acid burning in my stomach. It is bad. I let everything get too far and, as a result, I lost Mason. I didn’t realize it then, but agreeing to this stupid plan ruined my future. I still remember that day like it was yesterday.

“Seven years ago, I struck a deal with Cybill and Sinclair.”

Chris opens his mouth to interject, but I cut him off, covering his mouth with my hand.

“Nope. No talking. You want me to start from the beginning?” I remove my hand, waiting for him to agree.

He huffs, “Yes.”

“Okay, so I had just graduated with my Master’s degree. Cybil and Sinclair were livid with me for not accepting a role at Rhodes Publishing. Instead, I informed them I was moving to Oregon to be closer to you.”

“Wait, what?”

“Let me finish.” He nods, so I continue. “They immediately threatened to cut me off. But I didn’t care about the money. I knew I could find a job.”

I was determined and ready to accept the consequences of my decision. I felt so sure and confident at that moment. All that mattered was being near Chris. He had just been thrown out of our home and shipped off to live on the other side of the country. He was alone, and I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to him and being unable to get to him in time. Chris was all I had. Still is.

Being his sister has been the only thing I’ve ever known how to do right. He’s the only person who understands what it’s like growing up as a Rhodes. Living with parents who don’t give a damn about their children isn’t for the faint of heart. We had to train ourselves to be strong, to hide our weaknesses. But my weakness has always been Chris, and it was easy for my parents to use that against me.

“When I didn’t take their threats seriously, they threatened to hurt you instead. They vowed to stop paying your tuition and cut you off completely. You were sixteen, Chris. I couldn’t let them do that.” Hot tears stream down my cheeks at the memory.

He wipes them away. “It’s okay, Emmy. I know how they are. So what did they want from you?”

See? He gets it. Since the day he was born, my brother has brought solace and meaning to my life. The loneliness I had always felt melted away as I held him in my arms for the first time. Inmy little eight-year-old brain, I knew he would need me, and I promised I would always be there for him. I became not only his sister but also kind of his mother in a way. I protected him from anything and everything, and that extended to our parents.

“The deal was that they would continue to pay for the prep school, all of your college tuition, and housing until you turned twenty-five and had access to the trust Papa left you. In exchange, I would…” It’s hard to admit this next part because this is where everything started to fall apart, even though it was a no-brainer for me to agree to their terms. “In exchange, I would marry a man of their choosing, to keep RP in the family and help the business grow. I agreed. They let me move, and I almost forgot about it. I was happy here. I saw you all the time. You were safe and taken care of. It wasn’t until they required my presence at their stupid Memorial Day party, a year after the agreement, that things started to change. I didn’t think they would go through with it, you know?”

“That’s insane, Em. Why would you do that?” Chris moves Henry to the side and jumps off the bed. He paces across the room, running his hands through his hair. “I can’t believe you agreed to marry some stranger and be in a loveless marriage just for me. Why?”

“Chrisy, it was the easiest thing I ever did. I had to protect you.”

He shakes his head. He’s freaking out, but he doesn’t need to worry.

“It’s over, Chris. It’s not happening.”

His eyes snap to mine. “You got out of it?”

I nod.

“How? Wait! Who did they want to marry you off to?”

I pat the bed. “Come sit down, and let me finish the story.”

He rips off his sweatshirt, revealing his very tattooed arms, and sits back down.

When the hell did he get the ink?Another time, Emery. Concentrate.

“Alexander Westfield,” I state cooly.

“What?! Nooo.” He gasps.

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