Page 79 of Can't Always Get What You Want

It’s a different kind of silence now—one that buzzes under the surface. Something’s shifting between us.

“So…” she says slowly, spinning her water bottle on the counter. “You and your sisters still close?”

“Yeah,” I say, wiping my mouth. “Madison lives in Chicago now—runs her own little boutique, does custom work forweddings and local designers. She’s thriving. Still terrifies the shit out of me, though.”

Nova smiles. “And the younger one?”

“She’s in her first year of college,” I say. “Calls me when she needs money, a pep talk, or advice on relationships. Not to brag but I was the first person she called crying when her girlfriend dumped her.”

She reaches across the counter and touches my hand. “Awww, big brothers.”

“I know. I’m awesome.”

Perched on the stool, she continues watching me with a curious, tilted head. “It’s cool, you know. Seeing a guy talk about his sisters like that. With actual affection. Most guys I meet are like, ‘She’s annoying’ or ‘She’s a brat.’”

“Is that what it’s like with you and Gio?”

Her head shakes with a laugh. “No. I feel like it’s different because we’re twins.”

“You guys bicker like it’s your love language.”

“That’s because it is.” She leans back a little, balancing her weight on one elbow. “Growing up, we were inseparable—same teachers, same birthday parties, same overly color-coordinated outfits. He used to tell people we were telepathic.”

“Are you?” I ask, teasing.

She squints at me and taps her temple. “You were just thinking about kissing me.”

I chuckle. “That’s not telepathy—that’s good instincts.”

She rolls her eyes, smile lingering.

“He’s your person,” I say quietly. “Even when you want to strangle him.”

Nova nods, the shift in her energy is immediate. “Yeah. He really is.” She looks down at her hands for a second, then back up at me. “After he moved out of the building, I had… kind of an emotional meltdown?”

I don’t speak—I listen.

Something about the way she says it feels like she hasn’t told many people this.

“I have female friends,” she continues. “Poppy is the best, and I love my girls—but when Gio left, it felt like a part of me got ripped open. We’d always just… been around each other. Same walls, same routines. Fighting over laundry and splitting takeout and dropping in unannounced like he did tonight. And then he was gone.”

She shrugs the kind of shrug that doesn’t erase the weight underneath. “It’s probably not good to spend that much time with a person. Not healthy, right? Codependency or whatever.”

“I don’t know,” I say carefully. “I think it’s okay to miss someone who knows you down to your atoms.”

Her eyes flick up to meet mine, vulnerable and steady.

“It wasn’t just about missing him,” she admits. “It was about what he represented. Safety. Familiarity. A buffer between me and everything else.”

I nod slowly. “And when he left, the buffer went with him.”

She lets out a shaky breath. “Yes. I’m so grateful to have Austin in my life, too. I love her so much and she’s grown to become my sister.” Nova fiddles with a napkin. “Did you know I basically set them up?”

No, I did not know. “You’re the matchmaker?”

She grins, eyes lighting. “Indeed. There’s this bar at the end of the block called Five Alarm, and I went in to grab takeout—naturally—and Austin was sitting at the bar, screaming at the TV about Gio and how shitty he was playing.”

I blink. “Screamingat him?”

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