“Help me understand,” he says, fidgeting in his seat, “how trussing you up naked like a goddamn Christmas turkey in front of a room full of people isn’t exploitative and dangerous?”
“It’s about consent and trust, Nick. Every knot, every touch, he checked I was safe. That’s not exploitation, it’s respect. Youdon’t have to like it, but you don’t get to sneer at it. Mum and Dad always raised us to be open-minded.”
He closes his eyes and massages his temples, but he knows I’m right.
“I just worry about you,” he breathes. “I failed you when you married that fucking tosser. I should have seen him for what he was. I don’t want to fail you again. And I’m terrified that I’ll lose you.”
I move over to his sofa and sit next to him, putting my arm around him.
“You didn’t fail me. I was a grown up then too and people are allowed to make mistakes. It didn’t feel like a mistake at the time and none of us had a crystal ball. But it’s also not your job to protect me anymore. You did that for long enough.”
He sniffs loudly and now we’re both emotional.
“I’m sorry,” he says, looking down at his hands. “I was so fucking angry and I might have… I might have overreacted.”
“Might have??”
“Yes, only might have. I’m still deciding.”
“Uh huh. Promise me you’ll speak to him? I’m worried about him. I know what he went through after he and Lucy broke up and I can’t bear the thought of him being alone right now.”
“I will,” Nick concedes. “I need a bit of time to process everything but I will.”
“Good.”
“What will you do next?”
“Luke and I need to have our own little chat about what this is and what we both want. And I’m not quite ready to do that yet.”
He nods in understanding and I stand.
“I’ll see you soon, ok? Don’t be a stranger.” He rises and we share a quick hug. “Love you, little sis.”
“Love you too, big bro. But please know if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I’ll give Priya one of Luke’s toyboxes and some very specific instructions.”
He shudders and I laugh.
One conversation down, one to go.
But as I step out into the crisp morning, the thought of facing Luke makes my pulse stumble. I don’t know if I’m walking toward getting him back, or if he’s already walked away for good.
CHAPTER 43
Luke
“You’re a fucking idiot.”Jessie doesn’t even sit down before launching in. She just plants herself in the middle of my office like she owns the place, arms crossed, eyes narrowed to lethal slits.
“I’m doing it for Em,” I grit out, glaring at her. My jaw aches from clenching it all weekend.
Jessie tilts her head. “For her? Or for you?”
“For her. She needs to rebuild her life without me complicating it.”
“Right,” Jessie says, in that infuriatingly calm voice. “So, you’ve decided you know exactly what she needs, and she doesn’t get a say?”
“That’s not?—”
“Itis,” she cuts in. “Did you even stop to ask her what she wanted before you walked away?”
