That’s not like Anna. She’s loud, mouthy, fun. If anything, she overshares. This can’t be good. She and Mason have always been inseparable. If things aren’t going well for them now, she certainly hasn’t said anything to me about it. We keep in touch via FaceTime, but perhaps we haven’t been as open with each other since I moved to New York as I thought. Maybe the distance has made it harder for her to confide in me the way she used to. Now that I think about it, Mason hasn’t appeared in our calls for months, and I’ve been toodistracted by paperwork and meetings to notice. I bite back the urge to press her for more information. “I missed you,” I tell her instead.
A tear traces a path down her cheek. “I’ve missed you,” she says, pulling me in for another hug. “So, so much.”
I peer over her shoulder to find Mum softly weeping as she watches our exchange.
What have I missed?
“Weasel, you okay?” I ask her, my voice soft.
She sniffles, wiping her tears with the arm of her jumper. “I’m fine, Max. I’ll talk to you about it later,” she says, forcing a weak smile.
Mum steps forward, wiping her tears. “All right, you lot, dinner’s ready.” She flings a tea towel over her shoulder before ushering us all to the dining room.
As we gather around the table, I catch Mum and Dad up on Gray Hotel and the plans leading up to my return to London as well as the challenges and design concepts. They barrage me with questions about Grayson and how he and his brothers are coping following their grandfather’s passing.
Anna chimes in about her work, singing her own praises when she describes her grade three students’ latest reading project. She gushes over April and James’s wedding plans—I’ve not met James yet, but I’ve known April since we moved back to London after a stint in Fiji for Dad’s work. She was around so often, she practically became a second sister to me, and I’m honored to be invited to witness her big day.
When Dad peppers me with more questions related to work, I find myself detailing both pitches—Gemma and Henry’s versus Louise and Theo’s. I’m careful not to show any preference, even as Anna perks up at Gemma’s name.
By the time we finish, Anna’s sitting straighter, smiling more, and laughing at Dad’s terrible jokes. That somber lookhas faded, temporarily replaced by something closer to her usual self.
Anna’s always been my weakness. It’s always been just me and her against the world, especially with all the moving around for Dad’s work. The one constant we had was each other.
She was my rock throughout my divorce—those late-night calls when I was at my lowest, the weekends she turned up unannounced at my flat, practically dragging my sorry arse out the door. She never let me wallow in self-pity, and I’ll be damned if she thinks she has to face whatever this is alone. I owe her that much.
I like Mason. Always have. He’s a good guy who’s always treated Anna well. Or at least, he did. But I swear to God, if he’s behind whatever’s making my sister cry, I’ll end him.
A protective instinct surges through me, the same feeling I’ve had since we were kids when I’d find her crying over some schoolyard bullshit. I’m grateful to be in London for the next two months. Whatever’s going with her and Mason, I’ll make sure she knows she’s not alone.
Do Gemma and April know?
This is exactly why I need to get Gemma out of my head. I can’t be distracted by fantasies of her while Anna’s clearly struggling. Pursuing Gemma would put me in the middle of Anna’s personal life in ways I’m not prepared to handle, especially when she’s still sensitive about what happened with Nicole. I don’t want to be the reason she gets hurt again.
The irony isn’t lost on me. I’ve spent days trying to figure out how to handle the Gemma situation, and now life throws me something that makes the decision painfully clear.
But the question remains—can I fight this attraction to Gemma? I want to say with confidence that I can, but if I’m being honest, I’m not so sure anymore.
But for Anna, I need to try.
I’ll keep my distance. For now. Until I figure out whatever’s going on and how I can help her.
She might be all grown up now, but some things never change. Anna comes first. Always.
After dinner, Mum and Dad settle onto the sofas while Anna and I tackle washing up. She dips her hand into the sink before flicking me with soapy water.
“Watch it. This shirt is Boss,” I joke.
“Since when did you turn into such a wanker?”
I shrug. “Since I became a millionaire.”
“Show-off.”
I laugh, shaking my head as I lather up another dish. Seeing that she’s in a better mood, I decide to test the waters. “What’s going on with you and Mason?”
She pauses, taking a deep breath before scrunching the tea towel up and depositing it on the counter. She turns to me. “I want a baby.”
My eyebrows jump. “Hey, that’s great, Anna,” I say, nudging her with my elbow.
