The Spiral Down (The Fall Up #2)(53)

I glanced up and found Evan standing in the doorway with his shoulder leaning against the jamb and a hand shoved in his pocket.

“Thank you,” I mouthed.

He nodded and offered me a smile.

“He’s”—she sniffled—“hot.” She didn’t even attempt to be quiet.

I chuckled and held Evan’s eyes as I replied, “He is.”

“He like men?” she asked.

“Uhh…” I bit my lip and popped my eyebrows at him in question.

He laughed and rolled his eyes as he became unstuck from the door. After sauntering over to me, he stepped to my side, brushed a kiss across my jaw, and then replied, “I like one.”

My heart seized. Those three magic words spoke to my soul.

Who needed love when you were the only exception?

I was still making dreamy eyes at Evan when his front door flew open. We all jumped. I squeezed Robin tight, and Evan quickly stepped in front of us.

“Where is she!” a deep, gravelly voice I barely recognized rumbled.

Robin went solid in my arms, but my body slacked.

“Jesus Christ, Carter. Can we maybe chill with the Incredible Hulk act?”

“She’s fine,” Evan announced, stepping aside to reveal her tucked against my chest.

Carter’s nostrils flared as scary muscles ticked on his neck and his jaw.

He strode across the room. “Let go of him,” he growled.

She shook her head and squeezed me tighter.

“Robin, I’m not asking again.”

She squeaked but didn’t reply.

I shot Carter a puzzled look he failed to notice through his palpable anger.

“Did you call him?” she accused into my chest.

“Well…yeah.” I bulged my eyes at Evan, who was watching the whole interaction equally as perplexed.

“Why?” she whined.

I had opened my mouth to answer, but Carter got there first.

“Okay, I’m done.” He bent down and scooped her off her feet. “Let’s go.”

“Carter! Put me down,” she protested.

“Hey! Where are you taking her?” Evan shot in front of him, clearly concerned that Carter was caveman-carrying a woman from his house.

Even in the chaos, I took a minute to note what a good guy he was.

“Home,” Carter grunted and then turned to look at me. “I’ll take her back to your house and keep an eye on her for the rest of the night.”

I shrugged. “Okay.”

Evan’s mouth gaped open and he shot me a scowl. “Okay?”

“Uh…I mean. Is that cool with you, kid?”

She never once looked up as she grumbled, “It’s gonna have to be, apparently.”

“There. Decision made.” Carter nodded at me and then at Evan before storming out the front door with Robin in his arms.

Evan closed the door behind them and then raked a hand through his hair. “What the f*cking hell was that about?”

“No clue.”

“And, just to be clear, you’re not concerned at all that maybe letting her go with him was a bad idea? He was pissed and she didn’t seem all that excited about going.”

I waved him off. “Nah. She’ll be fine. Carter and Robin are tight and fight like siblings. He’s good to her. He’s just pissed she’s using again. Trust me. She’s safer with him than any other person in the world.”

He twisted his lips skeptically and glanced back at the door. “If you say so.”

I smiled at his concern. “She’s fine.”

He strolled over and cupped my jaw. “And what about you?”

“I’m better now.” I brushed my lips over his.

“Good. You want to tell me who she really is now?”

Leaning away, I cocked an eyebrow. “She’s my sister.”

“Really? Because she told me you were her dad.”





A LOUD GROAN rumbled in his throat. “She has got to quit telling people that shit.”

On our little trip back, I’d learned that Robin was twenty-one—only ten years younger than Henry. There was no possible way he was her father. But, after having witnessed Henry’s breakdown over her, I was incredibly interested to hear more about the dynamic between the two of them.

“So, then why don’t you tell me who she really is?”

“I already told you. She’s my sister,” he said defensively.

Gripping the back of his neck? I tipped my forehead to his. “We’re a ‘we’ now, remember?”

His eyes flared and his lips parted. “We.”

I nodded. “I’m just trying to understand what happened tonight. I hated seeing you like that, and I’m going to need all the facts if I’m going to prevent it from happening again.”

With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around my hips and pushed his hands into my back pockets. “She was my foster sister.”

I pressed my lips to his and then pulled him over to the couch with me. He settled into the corner, and I sat beside him with my leg curled up on the couch so I could face him. He was notably uncomfortable with the conversation, and I needed him to understand that he had my undivided attention—and support.