“You think he’s really that into her?”
“Cindy,” Adam responded, “your brother has sacrificed everything to make sure you never needed or wanted for a thing.” Adam held up his palm and started ticking his fingers. “The job he loved, the woman he was seeing, the friends he’d made in Philly, all of it gone because he wanted you to be okay.”
Michael heard Cindy take a breath to speak again. Adam didn’t let that stop him, however. He just continued on as if he hadn’t heard Cindy’s pause.
“And he’s never asked for a thing in return, nothing except your happiness. Even if it’s with Vanessa, please tell me you wouldn’t begrudge him the only thing he’s wanted for himself in all this time.”
Another beat of silence passed before Cindy spoke. “You’re right. It would be weird. You’re also right that I wouldn’t want him to hold back on my account. If anyone deserves some good karma, it’s Michael.”
“Yes, he does. And since we both care about him, I think we need to tell him to get out of his own way. I already started that conversation earlier today. I’m handing it off to you to bring that message home.”
Michael’s heart tightened at Adam’s words. He was sitting there treating his sister like an adult and wondering why he’d never bothered to do the same. Was it just because of what happened with their parents? Or was it because he was just too afraid to live his own life?
Michael heard heavy footsteps move toward the front door.“Tell Michael I’ll reschedule. I think you two need to talk without me being here. Have him call me later.”
The front door closed with a loud click. Michael waited a moment before silently opening the kitchen door and walking into the living room.
“How much of that did you hear?”
“All of it,” Michael answered while taking cautious steps toward the sofa where his sister sat hugging her knees to her chest. She looked so delicate and breakable, tugging at his protective instincts until he had to shove his hands in his pants to keep from wrapping her up in his embrace like he’d done since she was born.
“Do you think I’m breakable, Michael?”
Michael took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. He knew the answer was hanging on the tip of his tongue. Cindy was spoiled and used to getting her way.
“No. I just didn’t want to give Karl a chance to hurt you. I had to step in.”
She shook her head. “No, telling me what Karl was doing would’ve been sufficient. You needed to make sure I didn’t have a choice except to kick him to the curb, that’s why you arranged all of this with Vanessa. I was angry because it was obvious you didn’t trust me to make the right decision. And if things are weird between you and Vanessa, I can’t help but think you didn’t trust her on some very personal matters either.”
Damn, that one hit hard. That helping of truth was piping hot and he didn’t know if he wanted to swallow it.
“Cindy, I’ve overindulged you and treated you like a fragile flower who couldn’t survive without my guidance and direction.”
He sat down next to her and turned his gaze to hers. “I was wrong to set up this intervention with Vanessa. I should’ve sat you down and told you the truth instead of trying to make the truth so shocking you couldn’t deny it. I owed you more respect than that and I’m sorry I didn’t treat you like the adult you are.”
Her rigid shoulders relaxed as she dropped her hands from her knees and twisted her slight body around to look him directly in the eye.
“It wasn’t all your fault. Maybe if I didn’t always act like such a brat, you wouldn’t think I needed to be handled.” Her lip quaked and the tears she’d been holding back cascaded down her cheeks. “I really loved him, Michael. I won’t let my broken heart destroy me, though. Will you?”
The crack in her voice tore at his heart. His first instinct was to jump in and save her. Unexpectedly, something had changed between them, or rather in her. She was hurting. That was clear. And even in the midst of her pain, she found a way to show concern for him.
“I want you to be happy, Oppa. If Vanessa makes you happy, please don’t use me as an excuse not to fix whatever’s wrong between the two of you.”
“When did you get so wise, yeodongsaeng?” His quiet voice sounded strange to his own ears when he used the Korean term for little sister. It wasn’t that he’d never called Cindy that before, but he was so proud of her in this moment, he said it with such reverence it surprised even him.
“My oppa, who’s usually smart, was a great example to follow. Although, right now, he’s got his head stuck up his ass where the woman he cares for is concerned.”
He chuckled. She wasn’t wrong. He’d handled this thing with both Cindy and Vanessa terribly wrong.
“Would you mind if I hugged you? Not that I think you need babying, simply because you’ve been through something really terrible and I just want to comfort you.”
Her eyes scaled his face, as if she were trying to figure out the trick he was obviously playing on her. When she was apparently satisfied that he wasn’t gonna yell “gotcha,” she nodded and he pulled her into his arms.
“I know all of this hurts. I also know you’re stronger than either of us believed.”
“You know what, Michael?” she asked with her face pressed into his shoulder. “So are you.”
He slumped down onto the couch, resting his head against the cushions. “Don’t worry about me.”
