He stared at me for a long moment.
Then he cracked the most horrified face I’d ever seen on him. “Oh my God.”
I blinked. “What?”
“You really like her.”
“I said that.”
“No, youlike-like her.”
I groaned. “Are we twelve now?”
He ran a hand down his face. “Carson, no. NO. Youleft townwhen you’re finally falling for someone?”
“It’s three days,” I reminded him. “She understands.”
“No,” he said again, as if the sheer repetition could fix time. “Go back. Go back right now. I can survive this.”
“You can barely handle toothbrushing alone,” I pointed out.
“Stop it,” he snapped, though without heat. “If you’ve actually found someone you want? You do not leave town when everything is still fragile.”
“She told me to go,” I said softly.
He stopped mid-rant.
“She… told you to?” he repeated slowly.
I nodded.
“In a ‘go fix your brother’s life’ way or a ‘go because I don’t care’ way?”
“In a ‘go because I care’ way.”
He stared at me for a long stretch of silence. Then he whispered, “Damn. She’s good for you.”
“She is.”
“And you’re going back?” he pressed.
“Of course I’m going back,” I said quietly. “I told her I would.”
Something eased in his posture, like he’d unclenched a muscle he didn’t know was tight. “Good. Good.”
“And she said another day wouldn’t hurt,” I added. “And somehow… I believe her.”
I expected him to look relieved. Instead, something softer appeared, something like guilt.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t realize my mess would put you in that position.”
I shook my head immediately. “Ev. You’re not in my way. You’re my brother. You needed me. That’s it.”
He swallowed hard. “Thank you.”
We sat in another stretch of quiet.
Eventually, he said, “So you’re not afraid? That she’ll… I don’t know… think less of you for leaving?”
