Rusty bit down on his tongue to stop himself from sayinggoodout loud.
He didn’t hate Megan—he didn’t know her well enough to hate her—but he’d seen how upset Blake was, and he couldn’t help but imagine a younger Blake being just as upset but having no one to go to about it, and that thought wouldn’t leave him alone. It swirled in his gut, rage and helplessness coiling together.
Blake had never deserved being talked to like that. He didn’t deserve to feel unsafe around his own family.
Rusty got that it was a more complicated thing than that, and that siblings fought, but…
He was on Blake’s side. Unquestionably. What was the point of marrying someone if they weren’t there to fight in your corner, even if they had to take you aside later and tell you that you were wrong after all? If not forloyalty, why did anyone get married at all?
He hadn’t really intended to be married to Blake, but he was, and Blake deserved atleastRusty’s loyalty for getting him into this mess in the first place.
“She’s moving away,” Rusty said once he was sure Megan was out of earshot. “Away from Hope Springs, to live with Mr. Middle Management.”
“You’re so mean to Chris,” Blake said.
“He’s very beige,” Rusty said, wrinkling his nose. “Like, if beige was a person, it’d be him.”
“There’s nothing wrong with living a boring, stable life,” Blake said.
“Isn’t there?” Rusty asked. “Because you didn’t seem to be having a good time when I found you.”
Blake laughed. “Oh, yeah, and since then, I’ve had nothing but a laugh riot.”
“We’ve had good times,” Rusty said. “Even over the last few days. Or I’ve had fun, anyway. Guess I can’t speak for you.”
“I’ve had some fun,” Blake said, moving over and leaning his head on Rusty’s shoulder. “I think I’m gonna say yes to Jude. I wouldn’t want to bebeige.”
“Good,” Rusty said automatically. “You deserve better. You’re meant for bigger things.”
Blake sighed, snuggling closer to Rusty.
“I’m glad someone has some faith in me. It means a lot, actually.”
“Yeah, well, I’m here for you. Even if you are making my job harder,” Rusty joked, piping the final tart on the tray with a flourish. Only three more trays to go.
“I can move,” Blake said, without actually making any attempt to do so.
“Nah,” Rusty rubbed his nose with his forearm, shuffling the trays he had left around so he could get to work on the next one. “I like you right where you are.”
That was the honest truth, right from the bottom of Rusty’s heart, and he had no idea what it meant.
All he knew was that having Blake close to him felt better than anything else had in years.
And that was terrifying.
