“Okay, this is the cutest, dumbest, and most on-brand thing I’ve ever heard.” He snorted. “I know he was a dick to some of your boyfriends, but never to you. That wouldn’t have happened on my watch.”
“No, never to me. It was shitty what he did, but he apologised. To all the guys, too, whenever he ran into someone from back then.”
“Okay,that’sthe most Lewis thing ever. He’s a big softie.”
“He is.” I bit my lip to stop myself from grinning, but Ollie noticed anyway.
“God, you are so far gone for him, it’s disgusting.” With a wink, he emptied his cup. “Don’t go, Noah. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to Lewis, and if you feel the same—which I think you do—you can’t leave him. I saw it with Maddie and Fitz. They’re made for each other and knowing him before and how he’s been since she came back? When you’ve found a person like that you don’t let them go—ever.”
“He was ready to let me go before we went to Nairn.” I swirled the remnants of coffee around in my cup, unable to look at Ollie.
You’re nearly thirty and still need your big brother’s approval of your life choices. Pathetic.
“I meant what I said, Noah.” Ollie waited until I met his eyes. “If there is one thing about Lewis that I know it’s that he would never stand between you and your dreams. He would rather make himself miserable than talk you out of living your best life.”
“But my best life is …”
“Not in Bali, I think we can agree on this,” he finished the sentence for me.
“Yeah, we can.” A massive weight dropped off my chest when I finally said it out loud to my brother. “I cancelled my flight a couple of weeks ago,” I confessed.
Ollie nodded. “Believe me, he wants you here. And, well, I don’t know if it helps at all, but I want you to stay, too.”
“You do?” I gaped at him.
“Yeah, you’re my baby brother. And I know I’ve been shitty at my job, but I love you, Noah.”
“I always thought you hated me.” The words tumbled out of my mouth. “And I wouldn’t blame you after what Mum and Dad made you do.”
“I never hated you. Not one single day of my life. I hated that they made me raise you when I was still a kid myself.”
“They suck. I know they’re our parents, but damn they suck at it.”
“They do suck,” I chuckled. “Man. It feels good to say that out loud.”
“It does.” Ollie grinned at me. “I’m sorry for not being around a whole lot. I was seeing someone.”
“It didn’t work out? I’m sorry.”
“I think it’s better that way, to tell you the truth.” He bit his lip and ran a hand through his short hair. “I want to focus on LFD and being married to my job, you know?”
“Yeah.” I didn’t tell him that I’d tried that, and it hadn’t worked for me.
Eventually, we all have to make our own mistakes.
If learning from another person’s mistakes worked, none of us had any growth ahead for ourselves.
“We have a big year this year. Fitz just got a huge booking for summer. I don’t know if you’ve heard of that new rink that a hockey charity built near Kincardie?”
“No, I didn’t. I’m not really a hockey person.”
“Me neither.” My big brother snorted. “I just know that some of the players are hot, and that they get super sweaty when they play. And they get into brawls a lot.” He fanned himself then clapped his hand over his mouth and giggled.
Who the fuck are you, and what happened to Ollie?
It was as if a huge weight had dropped off my brother’s shoulders. He seemed to breathe a little easier.
“Well, that’s one thing to look forward to, isn’t it?”
