Page 45 of Lights, Camera, Love

He parks outside my building and switches off the engine. As I reach between my legs for my bag, he quietly says, ‘I have a brother. A half-brother.’

My fingers freeze around the strap. ‘You do?’

He nods silently, blinking down at the leather band circling his wrist. ‘He’s six years younger than me, and we grew up in separate foster homes. We also have different dads, neither of whom stuck around.’

I shift in my seat to face Kye. ‘Do you see him much?’

He swallows hard. ‘No. He’s, uh, he’s over at…Long Bay prison.’

My lips part. ‘Oh. I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be. It is what it is.’

The mood has taken another downturn, so I make a desperate move to revive it. ‘We should just go to the pub if we’re going to keep having this conversation,’ I say lightly, my lips curling up. ‘Get us some more of those bourbons.’

He makes a warm, throaty sound. I stare at him as his eyes suddenly dim, then drop to his thighs.

‘I can’t,’ he says softly.

Something tells me he’s not only talking about the pub, so I nod slowly and look away, feeling the punch of rejection in my chest.

‘Okay, goodnight, then,’ I say. ‘Thanks so much for the lift.’

‘I’ll walk you in,’ Kye says, clicking open his door. ‘It’s late.’

When we’re standing outside the paint-chipped door to my apartment, I find myself saying, ‘Do you want to come in? I’m pretty sure my mum is still out.’

I regret the question instantly. Hejustsaid no about the pub, but the words burst out before I could stop them. I’m not ready to say goodnight yet; even though I can’t quite explain why, I feel so good when I’m around Kye—like the world is a little lighter.

At first he whitens, then he flushes. ‘I can’t…I—’

‘It’s okay,’ I recover, trying not to look embarrassed.

He reaches out to lightly trace a knuckle down my cheek, and our gazes bind together as I inhale a sharp breath.

‘Don’t look at me like that,’ he whispers, the tips of his fingers lightly grazing my chin.

‘Like what?’ The nonchalant tone of my voice is entirely forced.

His eyes move back and forth between my own. His trembling hand falls to his side, and he takes a step backwards. ‘I’ll talk to you soon, okay?’

‘Yeah, soon. Good stuff. Nighty night.’

What the hell am I saying?

But as awkward as I’m being, Kye’s eyes seem to shimmer as they linger on mine. Then, he turns and walks away.

CHAPTER 13

Kye

Do you see him much?

Evie’s five innocent words scrape against the inside of my skull, reprimanding me for being so close to Jace yet so unable to make contact with him.

Not unable…unwilling.

I could’ve reached out to him a million times, but for over a decade now, I’ve used Jace’s physical distance to trick myself into believing he’s not there. The ache in my head sharpens.And the Brother of the Year award goes to …

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