“He really saved my hide today. I’m not sure what I would have done otherwise.” I curled my
fingers around the back of a chair when the gravity of today hit me. I’d been held up until this point
through sheer force of will and frustration, but now that I’d said the words, I realized just how fucked
I would have been without him to help me. And maybe that was the point he kept trying to get through
to me. “I know I should go check on her, but I need a minute.”
“I think that’s a good idea. They’re both sound asleep so it’s a good time to take care of you.” Gen
pulled out the chair next to the one holding me up and nodded for me to take a seat. When I got
comfortable, she reached out and placed her hand over mine. “You look like you’re about to fall over.
I know it’s stressful, but I can tell Willow adores you. Before she fell asleep, she kept asking when
you’d get here. She wanted to know how I knew her Daddy, and I’ll admit that made life interesting
for a minute. She tried insisting she and William go to his house because I was a stranger. So, let’s fix
that.”
“Um, okay?” Warning lights flashed in my mind. I glanced over my shoulder, wishing William
would come and rescue me.
“Oh honey, my brother’s not going to save you. He’d never let me get away with grilling you if he
was awake.” Gen laughed, a slightly terrifying sound. The only family I had ever met was Lisa’s, and
they were nothing like William’s sister. They disapproved of me from the word go, but I got the
impression Gen was playing around. “And I promise, I won’t be too hard on you. The fact you’ve
stuck around this long is a miracle. My brother isn’t the easiest man to get along with. He can be a
bit…demanding at times. He’s impatient and blunt on a good day.”
“He’s not demanding in a bad way, and he’s plenty patient with me.” She smiled broadly as I
defended him. When she stifled her laughter, I realized it had been a setup. I was an idiot. “You
already figured that, didn’t you?”
“Maybe, but it’s good to hear you’re willing to stick up for him. I know he can be a bit rough
around the edges at times, but he’s a good guy.” Willow whimpered, drawing both of our attention. I
knew better than to race in there, even if I was tempted, because she’d likely go back to sleep. “Look,
I’m probably overstepping here, but the little bit William told me about this morning worries me.”
“You and me both,” I responded through gritted teeth. I shook my head. “I have no clue what I’m
going to do at this point.”
“Well, if you want to talk through it to someone who will be unbiased, I have nothing to do for a
