The Summer Deal (Wildstone #5)(67)

“Look,” Kinsey said. “We need to talk.”

“No.”

“I’m going to pretend you said yes. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

When Kinsey was gone, Eli looked at Brynn.

“No.”

“Brynn—”

“Fine.” Brynn blew out a sigh. “Whatever. I’ll go out there, but only because I want to yell at her. A lot.”

He brushed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be close by if you need anything.”

“I won’t.” But then she gripped his hand when he would have risen, and swallowed hard. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” she whispered.

He squeezed her hand. “This is what families do, Brynn. This is what siblings do. I’m not going to make any more excuses for her. I feel like shit you found out the way you did, which could’ve been avoided. Maybe you could just hear her out before you decide what to do.” He bent and scooped up her sundress, handing it to her before heading to the door.

“One more thing,” she said, and he turned back to look at her, those gray eyes dark and intense. “I don’t know exactly what I think about all this, or how it affects my feelings for you.”

“Understood,” he said, his voice low and gruff with emotion. “But I’m not giving up. I won’t hurt you, Brynn. Not ever again.”

She knew he believed what he was saying, and she knew she wanted to believe what he was saying.

But she also knew that her history told her she couldn’t. Her one-strike policy was in full force.

KINSEY WAS MAKING mimosas, her hands not quite steady when Brynn came into the kitchen wearing one of her cute sundresses, though she hadn’t contained her hair or bothered with shoes. Kinsey took a deep breath and handed her a mimosa. “Even though you don’t look of age.”

Brynn looked into the glass. “Is this wise?”

“It contains thirty-two percent of the daily suggested dose of C, so consider it a vitamin.”

Brynn nodded. “Good to know. But I was referring to us drinking. At eight in the morning. When we’re both looking for a fight.”

“Ah.” Kinsey nodded. Then shook her head. “I’m actually not looking for a fight,” she said, filled with regret and remorse. Because she knew damn well that her actions didn’t quite match up with her words. Everything she’d done with Brynn was fight inducing, especially her three secrets—the last of which she was taking to the grave if she had anything to say about it. At this point, she was a walking, talking ball of anxiety, deeply concerned about her relationship with her sister and how she’d sabotaged it by keeping things to herself. Doing so had led to the end of her and Deck. Maybe to the end of her and Eli—still to be determined, because she wasn’t sure how mad at her he was. And now she was also in danger of losing her sister as well, before they’d even really found each other.

All of it her own fault.

And yet, she couldn’t, wouldn’t change a thing. She was in protection mode, and she would do this for Brynn, since she’d done so little else.

“Maybe you’re not looking for a fight,” Brynn said. “But I am.”

Kinsey’s heart tightened. Look at that, the poor organ was getting quite the beating this week. “You’ve found your backbone,” she managed.

“Even slowpokes learn eventually. I’ve got a lot of questions.”

Kinsey braced. “Fair. But first, I want you to know how sorry I am that you found out the way you did. It shouldn’t have gone down like that. And I really wish I told you sooner. I should have.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Didn’t want you to think I wanted you only for your kidney.”

“How long have you known?”

Kinsey winced. Okay, so they were diving right in. “I figured it out when I was fifteen. The year I stopped going to camp because I got really sick.” She’d hated that. Camp had been an escape, a fantasy world where she could be whoever she wanted, and she’d not even realized it until she’d lost the option. “By that time, I needed a kidney and I needed it yesterday. I was on the donor list, but nothing was happening, so I got talked into looking for relatives on the off chance anyone might be willing to be tested to see if they were a match. I went through all the ancestry sites out there back then, and was amazed at the information available. I thought I’d find our dad and maybe siblings of his.”

“But that’s not who you found.”

Holding Brynn’s gaze, Kinsey reminded herself if she was going to save this relationship, she had to be brutally honest here. And she wanted that, desperately. So she shook her head. “No. I found another offspring.”

“Me. Because I’d uploaded my DNA and a picture a while back in a moment of curiosity.”

Kinsey nodded and took a big gulp of the mimosa.

“I’ve got a long history of letting things go,” Brynn said. “Of just turning the other cheek, or better yet, walking away. But I’m done with that. This time I’m not leaving without answers.”

“Lucky me,” Kinsey quipped, and when Brynn didn’t smile or break eye contact, she sighed. “Look, I have a problem with joking at inappropriate times. I also laugh when people fall down. I’m pretty messed up to be honest.”