“Of course it is.” I grab two mugs from a hook by the sink and pour, staring out a window into a manicured backyard. A tarp-covered pool centers the picturesque retreat. “So this is how the other half lives.”
Demi rolls her eyes. “None of this stuff is mine. It’s all his.”
“You live here. It’s yours.” I sip my coffee.
“Not anymore.”
She shakes her head, staring down into her cup and wrapping her hands around it.
“He called the wedding off. The night of the accident. He said he didn’t want to marry me, and he left, his bag packed before I’d even come home from work.” Demi drags a ragged breath across her lips before bringing the mug to pursed lips. “Apparently, I’m a magnet for the love ‘em and leave ‘em kind.”
Her blue eyes lift, meeting mine from across the island. So many things I could say right now, but the timing’s all wrong.
“You ever going to tell me why you left?” Her tone is flat, but her gaze is sharp. It’s a stark reminder of the fact that we’re no better off now than we were last night, when she slammed the door in my face. Just because I took care of her last night and made her breakfast this morning doesn’t mean I’m in her good graces again.
I search for the right words.
But it’s not that simple.
I clear my throat to buy some time.
And by some kind of divine intervention, I’m saved by a knock at the front door.
Demi frowns, climbing off her bar stool and carrying her mug to the front door.
A few seconds later, female voices float from the hall. I can hardy tell them apart. Dark hair filled with shiny, loose waves spilling over an olive green parka is the first thing I see. Next are the unmistakable almond eyes of Delilah Rosewood.
“What. The. Fuck.” Delilah freezes mid-step when she sees me.
“Morning, Delilah.” I lift my cup, offering a brazen toast to this unconventional reunion.
She turns to Demi, tucking her chin against her chest. “Why is he here, and why is he dressed like your fiancé? What is going on? Tell me. Tell me right now. Oh, my God. Derek’s going to flip out, and Mom and Dad . . .”
Delilah barely breathes between sentences, her hands flailing wildly as she speaks. After a minute of hurling question after question at Demi, they both turn, in unison, and stare me down.
“I wish I had an answer.” Demi speaks to her sister like I’m not standing ten feet from the two of them. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Delilah’s eyes drag the length of me, and her pointer finger rises to her lips. She’s trying to figure me out. And I can’t say I blame her. It does seem rather suspect, from the outside, that I’d show up unannounced at a time like this.
“I came here to offer support.” I shrug. “Heard about what happened with Brooks.”
“Oh, now?” Delilah’s head cocks. “Now you want to come around? Where were you seven years ago? When we had to pick her off the floor the night you didn’t come home? When Demi could barely eat for weeks because she was so heartbroken? She had to be hospitalized for dehydration. Did you know that?”
I shake my head, watching Demi. Her eyes are focused on the center of her coffee cup. It fucking kills me that I can’t comfort her right now.
“Of course you didn’t.” Delilah’s rant shows no signs of stopping. “And where were you when she totaled her car sophomore year at Hargrove? Broke her wrist and her leg in three places. Had to take a semester off school to recover. Where were you when Grandma Rosewood passed away? That woman loved you like one of her own. Where were you when Derek got married? And then divorced, because the woman he married was a fucking psychotic lunatic? He could’ve used a friend, Royal. Where were you when Daphne landed her first art show and it sold out in two hours? Huh? You were the one who believed in her. You encouraged her to pursue art when my parents wanted her to choose something more practical. Where the hell were you, Royal?”
Delilah lays into me, and rightfully so.
I’ve missed everything.
But not by choice.
If I’d had a choice, I’d have been there for it all. I’d have never left Demi’s side. Fuck. I would’ve married that girl. Been there for everything. Every step of the way.
The choice was taken away from me the night I left. Had I known when I walked out of the Rosewood house that Saturday night that I was never coming back, I would have stayed. I would’ve never left Rixton Falls.
“You were a fucking brother to me, Royal,” she continues, taking steps toward me. Her finger points at my heart like a loaded pistol. “I loved you like a real brother. You didn’t just break Demi’s heart when you left, you hurt all of us. Wherever you went, I hope it was worth it. We were the only family who ever gave a damn about you, and you disappeared, you worthless piece of—”
“Delilah.” Demi stops her sister, placing her hand on her shaking arm.
Delilah’s fists clench before she drops them at her sides.
“I should go.” I set the coffee mug in the sink. Sure as hell don’t see a dishwasher, though I’m sure it’s hidden behind some fancy cabinet façade. “It wasn’t my intention to upset anyone.”
My gaze meets Demi’s as I pass, but only for a split second. She looks away, her fingers still digging into the flesh of Delilah’s arm.
Someday I’ll tell her.