“You always sing to me in my dreams.”
My breath catches in my chest. “Do you dream of me often?”
“Since I met you, yes.” He glances at the windows that overlook Madison Avenue. “Before that, I had other dreams.”
“What dreams?” I question even though I doubt he’ll answer.
He’s holding something painful inside. I see it whenever I look deeply into his eyes. It might be masked by happiness now because of us, but it’s still there below the surface, gnawing at him, consuming him.
His gaze drops to my legs. He runs a finger over one. “Dreams about my brother.”
“What’s his name?”
His hand stops. I see the sudden shake in it. Reaching forward, I place mine over it.
“Apollo,” he whispers. “My brother’s name was Apollo Easton.”
I wait for more,but the only sound that fills the silence is the beat of raindrops against the window.
I rest my head on Case’s shoulder, trying to comfort him, so he knows that I’m here. I’ll listen. I’ll understand.
“In my dreams, he’s eighteen.” He closes his eyes. “I think when someone dies, they never age in your dreams. They always look and sound the way they did the last time you saw them.”
I bite back the urge to cry because that’s not what he needs. He needs strength. “What was he like?”
“He was nothing like me.”
I smile because I doubt that. Case must have an influence on every person he meets. He’s had an incredible impact on me.
“It was a long time ago.” His hand inches over my knee. “I don’t want to forget him. I never want to forget him.”
“You won’t,” I offer even though the memory of my grandma has faded over time.
He looks at me. “He would have liked you, Emma. He probably would have liked you more than he liked me.”
I can’t help but laugh. “That’s hard to imagine. You’re pretty likable.”
His gaze wanders to the window again before it levels back on me. “Come back to bed. The rain will help us fall asleep.”
I place my hand in his. “Lead the way.”
He does.
We crawl into his bed, and with his arms wrapped around me he drifts off. I watch him sleep with a new understanding of why sadness has taken root in his beautiful green eyes.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Case
I sworethat I’d never tell a woman about my brother.
Guilt has kept his story locked inside of me for years.
I couldn’t even get the words out to the people I worked with at Cabbott Mobile.
Drake handled it.
He handled everything after I found Apollo’s lifeless body. He let me stay at his apartment until I moved into this place. He made sure I ate at least once a day. It was Drake who sorted through my brother’s belongings and took care of all the arrangements I couldn’t think about.
