8
Crystal was still in bed when she heard pounding on her front door.
She answered it with bleary, tear-blurred eyes to find both of her brothers on her stoop even though it was still dark.
"What are you doing here?"
"We came to find out what's wrong," Michael said.
Reid stepped into her apartment and closed his arms around her in a hug. "You've never canceled Saturday morning breakfast before."
"We knew it must be something big." Michael followed his brother into her apartment and closed the door behind him.
How sweet. And unnecessary. She'd prefer to still be in bed, hiding under the covers with her pillow over her head.
She tried to smile. "I didn't think you'd see my text until later. I can't believe you guys are even up this early."
"Stop trying to distract us," said Michael. "What's going on?"
She brushed a stray tear from her cheek, made her way into the kitchen, and started a pot of coffee. If she was going to have to deal with these two louts in her fragile emotional state, she needed sustenance.
"What did Princey-Poo do?" Reid asked.
She laughed, but there was a definite air of hysteria to it. "No, it's me. All me."
"I knew we should've pummeled that guy." Michael punched one meaty fist into his open palm.
"He said… he said he's falling in love with me." Even as she said the words, tears streamed down her cheeks.
Her brothers stood there dumbfounded, staring at her with their mouths hanging open.
"I will never understand women," Michael muttered.
Reid ignored his brother. "Why is this a bad thing? I thought you liked the guy."
"I do!" She tore a paper towel off the roll and dabbed at her face.
Now her brothers glanced at each other. Michael shot a look at the door, like maybe he was rethinking being in her apartment at all.
Reid wiped both hands down his face. Then he put his hands on his hips. "So he's in love with you, and you like him. I don't see what the problem is."
"We'd never fit. You said it yourself. I'm not the right woman for him."
"Uhh..." Michael was looking at her as if she were crazy.
"What are you talking about?" Now Reid was starting to sound angry. "You're the best person I know."
She sniffled. For all the grief they gave her, her brothers really were good guys.
"I'm not a… a supermodel. I can barely dress myself. I don't know anything about politics. I can't date the crown prince."
"Do you really think any of that matters to him? If he's got any brains at all, he'd be snatching you up right now and never letting you go."
She hiccupped. Dabbed her face when more tears came.
"He's right," Michael said. "The guy would be a dummy not to want you." He crossed his arms. "You're always bossing us around. And most of the time"—he rubbed his side where Reid had thrown an elbow—"Okay, all the time you're right. But you're not telling yourself the truth right now."
Reid butted in. "You've got it in your head that you're not good enough for him, but you're a hundred percent wrong. Stupid Harry and his mother weren’t good enough for you. You've still got their lies inside you. And you're believing them."
