“You’re right,” I say. “Gemma is my family. But we won’t be betraying her.”
Grace snorts. “Oh, yeah, I’m sure the mother of your child ismorethan happy to share you—”
“Gemma’s my sister, Grace,” I interrupt.
The fire door closes with aclickbehind me.
“Wait … what?” She stares open-mouthed at me. “Is this some sort of a trick? All this time—all this time.”
“I know.” I shake my head, laughing quietly. “I’ve been through the same holy-fuck moment too. But it’s not a trick. Look.”
I reach into my pocket and take out my cellphone, and then video-call Gemma. She answers after a couple of rings and then I turn around, so that Grace and I are both in the frame.
“Gemma,” I say, smiling like a fool. But I can’t help it. This is all unfolding in a way I never could’ve guessed. “Is this the so-called crazy lady who approached you in the car park?”
Gemma rolls her eyes behind her thick-framed glasses. “Ignore him, Grace. He’s a complete prick most of the time.”
“Cheers, sis,” I laugh. “I’m just ringing so you can tell Gemma that I’m not, in fact, a complete scumbag. That you’re my sister and Harry Junior’s my nephew, not my kid.”
“Yes, Harry, I can confirm that,” Gemma says, giggling. “I feel so guilty for coming between you two, really. Grace, I’m so sorry for the way I behaved toward you in the car park. I was just so confused.”
“No, don’t be,” Grace says. “I guess it makes sense from your point of view, this crazy lady just approaching you …” She laughs. “This is real, right? This isn’t some crazy trick?”
“I swear on my father’s grave,” I say, leaning across and kissing Grace softly on the cheek, just out of view of the camera.
Relief surges through me when she doesn’t lean away from the contact.
“It’s true, Grace,” Gemma says. “My big brother’s not perfect. I admit he can be a bit of a grumpy asshole sometimes—”
“Cheers, Gem …”
“But he’s definitely not the sort of man to have a wife and a kid and then cheat on them. That’s just not who he is and it never will be. Anyway, I’m going to leave you two love-birds to it. Bye-bye.”
Gemma hangs up and I turn to Grace, unable to stop the smirk from captivating my lips.
“Jeez,” Grace says, dropping onto the edge of the bed. “This is just so crazy, Harry. All this time. I mean … all thiswastedtime. I hated you because of this, really hated you. And I ghosted you. I could’ve just answered one of your fricking phone calls and this all would’ve sorted itself out.”
“Nah, it’s my fault, sweetheart.”
I swagger over and drop down next to her, smoothing my arm around her and pulling her close. I lean in and smell her lavender hair.
It smells like home.
“What sort of prick doesn’t even mention the fact that he has a sister, eh?”
“No, what sort of idiot ghosts somebody for fricking years when everything could’ve been explained quicker than you can saymix-up.”
“Okay, then,” I chuckle, sliding my hand down her side, searching for the best tickling spot. “Let’s say we’re both to blame. Imagine …”
She giggles, lightly slapping my hand away. She tightens her grip on my wrist as she turns to me, glaring and smiling at the same time.
It’s a just-Grace pouting expression of perfection.
“We agree to put all this craziness behind us. My trick.Yourtrick. The mix-up. All of it. We agree to just be …”
“Harry and Grace,” I growl, leaning close to her. “I can Imagine that, Grace, very fucking easily.”
I wrap my arms around her and pull her toward me, smoothing my hand up her back and into her soft-as-hell hair. She lays her head against my chest, making a sweet sighing noise that goes straight to my damn soul.
