Page 41 of Rebels and Roses

“Tell Tom that. He’s not here. He’ll contact you eventually. He’s a grown man. Now, can I drive you to the airport?”

“I’m not leaving without my brother. How crazy do you think I am?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

“I want coffee. How about you make me some?”

He opened his mouth to remind her there was a coffee shop in the bookstore a few blocks down, but then closed it immediately. He didn’t want Jane and Fiona in the same room if at all possible. Last night had been bad enough.

In his tiny kitchen, he slammed the cabinet doors a bit but made a pot of coffee despite his general sour mood. He needed to stop acting like this. Fiona was getting off on it, and as long as he acted like her presence was bothering him, she’d stick around.

Just to fuck with him. She was finding his discomfort entertaining as hell.

He poured two cups and handed her one.

“Why are you so mad at me, baby? You’re like a bear with a sore paw.”

Sinking down onto his couch cushion, he propped his bare feet on the coffee table.

“How about you answer a question first? Why are you here? And don’t tell me it’s because you came to get your phone. That’sbullshit, and we both know it. Tell the truth. You still know what that is, right? The truth?”

Fiona’s gaze settled on him as she sipped at her steaming coffee. For a moment, he thought she was going to tell him to fuck himself, but then she sighed and plopped into a chair.

“Fine, I didn’t come here for my phone.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere.”

“I came to see you. I’ve missed you, baby. Haven’t you missed me?”

“No.”

“C’mon,” she cajoled, a smug smile on her face. She thought this was hilarious. “Just a little? We had some fun, you and me. Don’t you miss those days? Grand adventure and fun around every corner. You and I had it all. We could again.”

“We did have fun,” he conceded. “We did have some adventures. But that was a long time ago. We’re different people now.”

“I’m not.”

Sadly, she spoke the truth.

“Well, I am.”

“I don’t think you’ve changed as much as you think you have,” she replied. “I think, deep down, you’re still the same. This little town will start to suffocate you eventually. You’re the type that needs to breathe free and be on the move. You could never stay here. I understand you. I’ve always given you the freedom that you’ve needed. No one else can give you that.”

He leaned forward, capturing her gaze so she wouldn’t look away. He wasn’t sure what was going on here, but he wasn’t planning to entertain Fiona’s flights of fancy. They’d been apart for years, and suddenly she was pushing for some magical reconciliation. It didn’t make a lick of sense.

“You and I are not a good idea. We weren’t a good idea then, and we’re not a good idea now. That much hasn’t changed. Gohome, Fiona. We both know that you’re not serious about this anyway. You’re just playing games and getting a kick out of it. Have you been bored lately? I’m guessing you grabbed at this chance to get out of town and poke the bear.”

“Are you the bear in this scenario?”

“Does it matter? Seriously, Fi. You don’t want me back. You just want me to want you. That’s it. If I tell you that I’ll never get over you, will you go back to Miami? Hell, you probably have a boyfriend back there. I wonder where he thinks you are right now?”

“Saving my baby brother,” Fiona said, rising from her chair and walking over to the windows that overlooked the sidewalk and street below. “I am going to be honest with you, baby. Tom has issues. Problems. I thought that his coming here might be the chance I needed to get him help. I thought that you might be able to talk him into going into rehab. He has a cocaine problem. A serious one. I’ve been worried about him for the last few years, but he insists that everything is fine.”

“And the paranoia?”

Fiona’s expression had turned incredibly sad, her eyes glittering with tears.

“I assume it’s a side effect if his addiction. He’s been spiraling out of control these last few months. Insisting that he’s clean in one moment, and that someone is watching and following him the next. Blowing massive amounts of money from his trust fund on cocaine and women. Partying every night and blowing off his job during the day. I can’t get through to him. He always respected you. I thought that between the two of us, we could talk him into checking himself into rehab. He desperately needs this.”

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