Page 51 of Falling For The Enemy (The Gilbert Curse)

“I’m sorry I went behind your back. I was afraid you were forgetting our family and now... I know you weren’t,” Aunt Mal said. “That your brother would behave that way is unconscionable. I can never condone what Dash Gilbert did to us, but for the first time I think I can almost understand it.”

“Thanks for apologizing. I could never forget you, Aunt Mal, never. You are the only one who has had my back for the last ten years. But you hurt Rory intentionally and that’s going to take me time to forgive.”

“I understand. I hope you can. You’re all I have, too,” she said brokenly.

For the first time, he saw her age. And that she was barely holding herself together.

“Did Dad know? I can’t imagine that he did.”

“I don’t think so. He wasn’t happy about the offer of jobs in Boston but he was preparing to move there and take the new job. When the job was rescinded, it destroyed him,” Aunt Mal said. “It seemed like such a cruel move from the Gilberts after losing Dec.”

Only knowing what the three of them had at the time, it had seemed that way. He was sad and angry about Declan. His father’s drinking made so much more sense now.

“What’s next?” Aunt Mal asked. “We’ve bought all this property in Gilbert Corners.”

“I’ve been talking to local business owners. I think if we can work with the Gilberts, it might be the way forward. Take the tragedy of that night and turn it into a strength here for the town and our families.”

“I’m sorry I betrayed you to Rory. If I’d known what Declan had done—” Aunt Mal broke off on a sob.

He went to sit next to her, hugging her. He wished she hadn’t as well, but it was past time to come clean with Rory and Kit knew he had been too afraid to risk losing her to do it.

“Is there anything I can do to make up for this?” she asked hopefully.

“I’m not sure what youcoulddo to fix it,” Kit admitted after a long moment. He saw that she was sincere and contrite, and while he still wasn’t ready to forgive her, he realized that it had been a scared woman who had gone to Gilbert Corners.

“Honestly? Me either,” his aunt said.

He released a deep breath. “All I know for sure is that I am going to do everything I can to win Rory back.”

“I’ll apologize to her again,” Aunt Mal said.

“I think it’s going to take more than an apology.”

“Just tell me what you need and I’ll be there,” she promised.

Rory felt numb in a way she hadn’t since she’d first realized that Dash and Elle had been lying to her. That had been months ago. She’d honestly thought there was nothing else from the past that could hurt her.

Oh, how wrong she’d been.

She’d had vague memories of what had happened the night of the gala but hearing Dash’s abbreviated version had brought it all back. But now, despite the inner turmoil she was feeling, knowing she was safe and that her family had rallied around her, gave her strength. And the bad memories she had of Declan weren’t as harsh as they might have been if she didn’t have the distance of all the time she’d been in the coma.

Maybe her brain had been doing what it needed to in order to protect her.

“Are you okay?” Dash asked.

She looked up at her brother. “I have no idea. I’m not sure I really even know what okay feels like.”

“What can I do?” he asked.

“Nothing. This is something I have to figure out on my own.” She wanted to be angry with Kit and she was. He never should have lied to her about who he really was, but she could understand why he had at first. But the moment they’d talked about how car accidents had changed them... For the life of her she couldn’t justify him staying silent.

“I hate this. I want to do something to fix this. I’m so sorry I had to bring up so much of what happened the night of the gala. Want me to call Elle or your therapist?” Dash asked.

Her big brother was doing his thing. Sweeping in to protect her. But she wasn’t all right and doubted she was going to be for a while. She did need to talk to someone but right now she just wanted to sit here and cry. To think about how she’d gone from feeling like she’d figured out her life and her future to being like this again.

It was almost the same way she’d felt when she’d woken from the coma...

“I think Kit was the man who was with me when I woke up,” she said.

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