“No. I did not. Do people really have that low of an opinion of me?”
“Let’s just say it’s a reputation earned.”
That was sobering. Especially coming from his big sister. He shook his head. “She fell asleep on the bed, and I told her I was going to spend the night at the airport. But she told me to stay. We slept fully clothed, but she pulled me close and said she missed me.”
“Oh, my God. Please tell me that you did not sleep on top of the covers.”
“Kelsey.”
“Haven’t you seen those news shows, Garrett? They’re covered in all kinds of gross germs and bacteria.”
“I’m pretty sure those are the same thing. And I need you to focus.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “This is important. What were the exact words she used? For all you know she was drunk enough to have mistaken you for her dog.”
“That is more disgusting than your hotel comforter story.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you’d seen them use the black light.”
“Kelsey. I need you to focus. She said my name. She said, ‘I miss you, Garrett.’”
“Wow.” She was silent for several seconds. “I guess that means you can move to step two.”
“Which is?”
“Proving that you’re actually not lower than pond scum. The question is how do you pull off that deception?”
“Kelsey.”
“Okay, I’m kidding. Kind of. You have to know you’ve been a slut, Garrett. And honestly, it’s pretty gross.”
He sighed. “Yeah. I know.”
“Hey, admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?”
“Yeah. I guess.”
“Are you sure you still love this woman? That was five years ago, Gar-Bear. She’s changed. You’ve changed. And let’s not discount that she’s with Neil, whom you hate with a passion.”
“I don’t hate him. I just despise him.”
“Hate. Despise. Whatever. But you can’t ignore that Neil is marrying your old girlfriend. That is bound to prick your ego, jealousy—whatever you choose to call it. Don’t let that blind you.”
“I will admit that the thought of her with Neil . . .” His voice trailed off, and he sucked in a breath, not letting his mind go there. “You do have a valid point, but I’ve been thinking about her for a while now . . . long before I saw her in Phoenix, found out she was Neil’s fiancée, and was completely turned on by the way she eviscerated my client today.”
“I really hope that was a metaphor, or I’ll be forced to call the authorities, brother or not.”
“Kelsey.” He took a breath. “I’ve been pining for her since our breakup, and the last year has been even worse. Everyone around me is starting to settle down, which has made me realize that I want to share my life with someone too. So I’ve been serial dating—not screwing—women for the last year to try and find a partner who comes close to matching what I had with Blair, and it’s just not happening. I fucked up when I let her go, Kels, and I’m going to pay for it the rest of my life. I deserve it, but I want her anyway, and as long as she isn’t one hundred percent content with Neil, I’m going to try to get her back. Tell me what to do.”
“Did you actually use the word pining?”
He groaned. “Forget it.” His ego was bruised enough by the mere fact that he was asking his sister for help.
“Garrett, I’m sorry. I think you caught me off guard. That’s probably the most real thing I’ve heard you say in a long time.”
He paused, then said quietly, “I love her, Kels.”
“Then I’ll help you. But you have to do what I say.”
“Why do I think I’m going to regret this?”
“Because it’s going to be painful, but you want the girl, right?”
“More than anything.”
“Okay,” she sighed. “You two had fun when you were together, right? The weekend I spent with you in Columbia, you both laughed and joked around. Remind her of how much you enjoy each other’s company.”
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s good.”
“Prove that you’re trustworthy now. You screwed her over, so you have to show her that you won’t hurt her again. That one’s going to be tricky since you’re running out of time.”
His chest tightened as he realized just how little time he had left. “Anything else?”
“Show her how much you love her. You two were in love once. Maybe you weren’t the typical romantic couple, but it was obvious that you were crazy about her. There’s no way Neil can give her that. He’s too uptight.”
He swallowed a lump of fear. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to do all of this before Saturday.
“Good luck, Garrett,” she said with uncharacteristic seriousness. “I hope you can pull this off.”
“Thanks.” He needed all the help he could get.
Thirty minutes later, Garrett pulled into the parking lot of St. Luke’s Hospital. He’d already called his boss, who’d told him to go through with the new deposition. Later on, they would have a partner meeting to decide whether to keep Brian Norfolk on as a client. At the moment, he was ready to take his sister’s advice.
He’d decided it was time to take a different tactic with Neil and discuss the situation with his cousin like adults. And the sooner the better. If he was convinced Neil really loved Blair—and vice versa—he’d give up his impulsive claim to the ring, beg Nana Ruby to let him out of the wedding, and leave Blair alone. But so far his limited observance suggested otherwise. God help him for hoping he was right.