Page 128 of No Place Like Home

I got close to the bed. “Never doubt my love for you, Rosie. I loved you since the moment you were born, and—”

I stopped, because we never talked about our mom.

“I just never loved myself,” I admitted.

Rosie began to cry. “I thought you didn’t love me anymore.”

I wrapped her in my arms and cried with her. The last time we’d both cried had been on that day. The day of our mom’s death.

“I’ll always love you, Rosie Posie,” I whispered into the top of her head.

“Thank you for being the best sister ever,” she mumbled.

“Now that you’re done being mad, you can meet Quinny. She’s been dying to meet her Aunt Rosie.”

Now that Rosie was in the car with me and we both looked like we we hadn’t cried much, I made my second stop of the day. I stopped and looked at the house before I made an attempt to go in. This place held bittersweet memories.

It wasn’t home, because I’d never been fully healed, just in a state of denial. I walked up the steps and knocked on the door to a place I’d once called home.

The door opened and the boy—no, theman—standing in front of me looked nothing like I had remembered. Blake’s hair was on the longer side, tied in a ponytail, and he’d grown a full beard, but those blue eyes were intense as ever.

“Hi.” I waved.

It looked like his lip twitched. He leaned against the doorframe.

“Can I help you?”

Okay, I should have expected that.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized.

“What are you apologizing for?” He raised a brow.

“For treating you like shit. For leaving without telling you.”

“I missed you,” he said after a little bit.

He pulled me in for a hug, and the last restless piece in me ceased to exist.

“Me too.” I hugged him back tightly.

“You and Hardwell, huh?”

“Yeah,” I told him.

“If he doesn’t treat you right, I’ll kick his ass.”

I hugged him tighter. “Thank you for being my friend when I needed someone the most.”

He nodded.

I pulled back, and I could have sworn he looked a little sad.

“Any lucky girl?”

He gave me half a smile. “Naw. I’m still beating myself over losing a great girl.”

That sucked.

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