His question cut straight to what I’d not let myself think about. Alex was pulling away, becoming distant, giving me careful, measured responses where she used to send long strings of her stream of consciousness thoughts. But maybe she wasn’t protecting herself from getting too involved—maybe she was protecting herself from someone who wasn’t being real with her.
“I should call her,” I swallowed.
“You should call her.”
“Not right now, though. I’m drunk and emotional and probably shouldn’t make important decisions while sitting by a campfire.”
Dom laughed. “Probably wise. But tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.” I raised my mug toward the fire, “to honest conversations and whatever comes after.”
“To trusting the people we care about to handle the truth.”
We clinked mugs under the Wyoming stars, the sound sharp in the mountain air. I felt like I might have a path forward that didn’t involve protecting Alex from reality. Even if that reality was more complicated than either of us had signed up for.
Chapter 24
I definitely messed up
Finn
The fire had burned down to glowing embers and Domwas dozing in his chair, mug balanced precariously on his knee. The peaceful quiet of the mountains settled around us—no city noise, no obligations, just the distant sound of wind through the trees and the occasional lowing of cattle in the far pastures.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I reached in and silenced it, not willing to interrupt the sleepy peace between us.
It buzzed again, immediately. I pulled it out, wondering what could be so urgent at—I checked the screen—eleven-thirty at night.
“Why is Enzo calling me?” I asked as his picture popped up—silly and happy and perfectly Enzo.
Dom glanced at me and shrugged. “Wedding stuff, maybe? Did you make the appointment for the final tuxedo fittings?”
I accepted the call. “Hey Enz, what’s—”
“What thefuckdid you do to my sister, Finnegan Walker?” His voice was loud enough that I winced, and Dom raised an eyebrow, turning toward me with sudden alertness.
“What do you mean?” I rubbed my forehead, trying to think of what he was talking about.
“She’s broken and Iknowit’s your fault! You need to come back here andfix it!”
The alcohol haze evaporated instantly, replaced by sharp awareness. “Enzo, slow down. What’s wrong with Alex?”
“She had a complete breakdown at work! Tabitha had to drive her to her psychiatrist because she lost it over a printer! Aprinter, Finn!”
Worry flared through me. “Is she okay?”
“No, she’s not okay! She hasn’t been sleeping, she’s not eating, she’s working herself into the ground, and every time I try to talk to her about it, she just says she can’t let herself think about the way you left or that you stopped texting!” His voice cracked slightly. “So I’m asking you again—what did you do?”
Dom was watching me now, fully awake and clearly picking up on the crisis unfolding through the phone.
“I didn’t—I haven’t done anything.” But even as the words came out, I knew how hollow they sounded. I’d been pulling back, being careful, protecting her from things she didn’t even know existed. “I’ve just been processing some things.”
“Well, while you’ve been processing, she’s been spiraling worse than when Graham cheated! And don’t you dare tell me this isn’t your fault, because I don’t believe that for a second. Itoldyou that if you ever hurt her, I would make your lifeveryunpleasant.”
The accusation hit like a punch to my gut. I’d been so focused on protecting Alex from my current situation that I’d never considered how my withdrawal might affect her. How someone who’d been hurt before might interpret cowardly distance as rejection.
“Enzo, I—”
“Fix it,” his voice grew hoarse. “I don’t care what you think you’re protecting her from. She’s mysisterand she’s inpainand you’re going tofix it.Tonight.”
