Page 180 of The Young & the Sinner

I gave him a small nod.

“Can I pick you up and bring you to the sink? Or do you think you can get there on your own?”

Again, I nodded. Only I didn’t know what I was saying yes to. Max took that as my consent as he effortlessly picked me up and walked over to the sink. He placed me on top of it, then walked out to the kitchen. Seconds later, he was back with an empty glass.

I watched mindlessly as he filled the glass with water and handed it to me. He didn’t say anything while I rinsed my mouth.

After I finished, I set the glass down and took him in.

“How did you forgive Mason?” I asked.

He frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“How did you forgive Mason for being with my mom… that way?”

His eyes cleared and he relaxed a little. “Oh. There was nothing to forgive. Grace is her own person. She could decide who she wanted to spend her time with. She didn’t need my permission for that.”

Now it was my turn to frown in confusion. “I thought you were in love my mom.”

“What gave you that idea?”

“Well, why else would you stay with us for so long? You were always there when my mom needed you. You hardly ever dated, and I heard you propose to her.”

His eyes widened in surprised. “You did?”

I nodded. I was fourteen at the time. I was supposed to be in bed, but I wanted a glass of water. Max and my mom were talking. I didn’t know what they were talking about exactly, because they were too far away for me to hear, but by the time I got close, I heard Max ask my mom to marry him.

I was so damn excited; I almost gave myself away. And then Mom said no. And I didn’t know why.

“Don’t you love my mom?”

“Of course, I do, kiddo. Grace has always been, and is still, my oldest friend.”

“But aren’t you in love with her?”

His eyes told me his answer before his lips did. “Maybe when we were teenagers. But then everyone was in love with Grace Atkins at one point in their life. Always the prettiest girl in class. Always the most carefree. All the attention gravitated toward her whenever she entered a room.”

“But not now?”

“Not for a while now.” He tucked a strand of my brown hair behind my ear. “Not since before my college years.”

“I don’t understand. Then why would you propose to her?”

His eyes glinted with some unknown emotion, and I couldn’t look away from him. “Don’t you? Marrying Grace was the only way I could think of to bring you into my family. To take care of you. I’ve loved you since that first moment I held you in my arms.”

He shook his head, his eyes unfocused. “God, you were so tiny. You were born premature, and I thought we’d lost you for a moment. I know you’re not my blood, and I know I can’t replace your father, and I don’t want to, but you have to know that I’ve always loved you. I didn’t stay for Grace. As much as I love you mom, she didn’t make it easy to be around her. I stayed for the little girl who held onto my hand so tight that very first time we met, who had always looked up at me with adoration and trust in her eyes. And I swore to myself, I would do whatever it took to make sure that look never went away.”

I jumped off the counter and wrapped my arms around him. A sob burst free and I didn’t know how to quiet it.

“Shh, it’s okay. Everything will all work out, I promise.”

“How do you know?”

“Because when you love someone, and I mean really love someone, you try to make it work with them, no matter what. And you love my idiot brother, don’t you?”

I let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, I do.”

His arms tightened around me, and I buried my face in his chest. If I could, I’d stay there and never leave. My heart wouldn’t hurt as much. I wouldn’t be forced to face my reality, and as I had learned at a young age, reality was often disappointing.

“I don’t know how to be with him again.”

“That’s okay, too.”

“No, it’s not.”

“No, it’s not,” Max repeated. “But it will have to be.”

Well, that sounded depressing.

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