Until Harry(86)

I frowned. “I’m not as strong as you, Kale.”

He turned me to face him. “Are you joking?”

I shook my head. “I’m a coward.”

He almost growled at me. “Don’t you ever say anything like that about yourself again. After all the shit you’ve been through, you’re still here, and that counts for something, Lane.”

I stared up at him, mesmerised that I was finally seeing some emotion in him.

“I met Drew when she was on her way out,” he commented. “She said you both spoke.”

I nodded. “I apologised to her for how awful I used to be, but she was adamant that I had nothing to be sorry for. She’s pretty great.”

“Yeah,” Kale agreed.

I glanced up at him. “She told me that you used to talk about me a lot, and that you used to have nightmares about—”

“The day I lost you.”

I frowned. “Kale, don’t do that to yourself.”

He tried to smile, but his lips never did fully curve. “I can’t help it.”

“Hey,” I murmured.

His whisky-coloured eyes roamed my face. “Yeah?”

I licked my dry lips and said, “I think it’s time we had our talk.”





CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Day four in York

Explain this to me one more time,” Kale said as we entered his apartment. “Your uncle left you his entire estate, but under the condition that we . . . talk? Am I getting that correctly?”

Thank God it sounded just as insane to someone else.

I nodded. “Yeah, it was written in black and white. If we don’t talk, and we both know what talk he means – he worded it exactly like that – then his estate will be liquidated into a lump sum and donated to . . . to the Liverpool Football Club.”

A gasp of pure horror left Kale.

“That manipulative bastard,” he said, scowling.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Kale, like the rest of my family, was a hard-core Man United supporter.

“I just can’t believe he had to take such drastic measures. I hate that I made him feel like he had no other option. He probably thought if he asked me to talk to you that I would have cut him off like I did everyone else.”

My lower lip trembled as shame filled me.

“Hey now,” Kale murmured as he moved closer to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “He knew you loved him, but he also knew you needed to figure everything out for yourself. We all did. Your brothers and parents just took it harder because they were caught in the crossfire of losing you.”

I nodded. “I know, but my decisions didn’t help anything.”

“Everyone makes mistakes, Lane. We learn from them and grow.”

I glanced up at him. “When did you become so wise?”

His lip quirked, and for a second I thought I spotted the familiar glint that once dwelt in his beautiful eyes. “I’ve done a lot of thinking over the years.”

I had no doubt about that. I had done a lot of thinking too.

There was a beautiful bookcase in the corner of the sitting room, and before I knew it, I found myself standing before it, brushing my fingers over the book spines in greeting. I loved books, and I loved that Kale still read them. I was about to turn away from the case when the name of an author caught my eye: K.T. Boone. She was an author I worked with. I scanned the other books and gasped.

“Kale,” I breathed.

I felt him come up beside me.

“You . . . you bought every book I have ever edited,” I whispered as my eyes scanned over the familiar titles.

Kale cleared his throat. “Like I wasn’t going to follow your work. You’re my best friend, and you have a kick-ass job. I’ve read them all. I had a book club in the making with your dad and Uncle Harry.” He chuckled. “You’re truly brilliant at what you do. I couldn’t find a fault in any of them. I love reading the author’s acknowledgements to you too. I’m so proud of you, kid.”

Don’t cry, I warned myself. Don’t you dare bloody cry.

“This is so sweet, Kale,” I said, clearing my throat when my voice dropped that octave.

“Speaking of sweet, you want a cup of tea?” Kale asked after a moment, and I appreciated the subject change.

I snorted. “Do you have to even ask?”

He grinned down at me and headed into the kitchen to put the kettle on. I followed him, and I glanced around as I walked, noticing how plain everything was. There were no pictures of Kaden anywhere, but I was too afraid to ask about it in case it upset Kale. I walked by him and moved to the large window over by his kitchen counter.

“Great view of the cathedral from here,” I commented.

Kale chuckled. “Why do you think I bought the place? For the generous-sized rooms?”

I noted his sarcasm and grinned.

“I like it,” I said. “It’s cosy.”

“It’s nothing compared to your new house. Harry’s place has five bedrooms.” Kale whistled. “What will you do with all that space? It’ll fetch a nice price for you, that’s for sure.”

I wasn’t surprised that he assumed I would be selling my uncle’s house; I’d been threatening to leave ever since I’d arrived.