The Boy and His Ribbon (The Ribbon Duet, #1)(95)

My hands shook as I hurried to our one piece of furniture and pulled out one of the lined workbooks she’d given me to practice with. The shared dresser beneath our TV held a jumble of hers and my belongings—blending together, just like us.

Her socks on my socks.

Her dresses beneath my shorts.

Even our goddamn clothes liked to be close, and I slammed the drawer with a nauseous roil.

Perching on the edge of my bed, I quickly—or as fast as I could with my chicken scratch—wrote my third apology for the night.

Della had run, and I was about to vanish after her.

There were no times for goodbyes.



Dear John and Patricia,

What can I say?

I have to go after her. It’s the only thing I—



“Ren.”

My head shot up, my pen skidding across the page.

John stood on the threshold, his face tight and a black dressing gown thrown over his plaid pyjamas. “Can I speak to you?”

I stood, tossing the unneeded letter onto the mattress. “I need to talk to you, too. I’m leaving. She’s run away.”

“Oh, shit.” His eyes turned forlorn as he nodded. “Of course. You must go after her.”

I didn’t know why he was here, but I was grateful he’d come, if only so he knew why I was about to walk out of his life with no guarantee of coming back.

John stood awkwardly while I yanked up my sheets and ducked to yank my old backpack out from beneath the bed.

Only, it wasn’t there. Just a dust-free patch where it used to be, along with a skid mark from where Della had pulled it free.

“Shit,” I breathed. “Shit.”

Clambering upright, I glanced around the room. There was nothing else I could use to carry the supplies we might need.

“Eh, here…this is for you.” John cleared his throat. “Take it.”

An eerie sense of déjà-vu hit me. Years ago, I’d stood in their guest bedroom as he offered my first salary, and I’d traded it in for Della’s well-being.

Now, he held out an even larger envelope.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“It’s the rest of your income and bonuses.”

“But I thought you were spending it on Della’s education and things?”

“She’s in public school, and she costs very little to run with most of our produce coming straight from the garden. If Cassie cost half what she did, I’d be a rich man.” He smirked half-heartedly. “Never a day went by that I didn’t ensure I was paying you what you were worth. Patricia ran the books. With the bonuses and business increase you helped create, you have more than enough saved to put a deposit on your own place or do whatever you need to do.”

My feet locked to the ground. I narrowed my eyes. “Why do I get the feeling this is charity?” Anger tinged my voice. “I’m not some homeless kid anymore. I’m twenty-three. I don’t need your—”

“I know you don’t, and it’s not. This is rightfully yours, and I wouldn’t feel right keeping it.” The air thickened as he crossed the distance between us and forced it into my hand.

I swallowed as the weight of money settled into my grip.

And then I knew why he’d given it to me.

Tonight would never have had a different ending—regardless if Della had run away or not.

My fingers tightened around the cash. “You’re saying goodbye.”

John shoved his hands into his dressing gown pockets, looking at the floor. “Patricia is right. We love you like family. You’re not just an employee, and I don’t want to see you go. I love having you and Della here, and I’m eternally grateful for all your help. But…this is a small town, Ren. I know you said you and Della aren’t blood relatives…but that doesn’t change facts.”

I sighed heavily, feeling disgusted all over again. “I know.”

“If people find out. If Della tries it again—”

“She won’t,” I snapped. “Believe me. When I find her, she’ll never wish to kiss another person again.”

“That might be.” He nodded. “But here, people believe you’re brother and sister. If Cassie talks or even if Della talks, you stand a high chance of arrest just from local gossip. You’ve done well by that girl. No matter what you think, you are a good role model for her. But right now, this place would only hurt you if you stay.”

Clutching the wad of money, goosebumps scattered over my arms. “You don’t want us to come back.”

He smiled sadly. “It’s not that I don’t want you. Hopefully, one day you’ll visit, and things will be back to normal. But for now, you need to be somewhere that hasn’t watched you two grow up and already have their perceived realities.”

“There are no perceived realities.” I growled. “There’s nothing going on. We are brother and sister. No more. No less.”

John backed toward the door with a wise smile that irritated and angered me. “Realities can change. I’m not blind. I’ve seen what’s gone on over the years with you and Cassie. I never spoke up because out of all the boyfriends she’s had, you were a good influence on her. But I also know it’ll break her heart when she wakes up to find you gone tomorrow.”