Page 107 of Burning For You

Which meant keeping his feelings secret yet again.

27

NO RIGHT TO JUDGE

“Hi,” Skye said the next day, holding her hand out for Sean’s girlfriend, Sara. “It’s nice to meet you.” She slid into the booth opposite them at the restaurant Sean had texted her.

“You too,” Sara said. “I have to say I was surprised to recently find out Sean even had a sister.”

She wouldn’t let that get to her. There was no reason to.

The slice into her heart wasn’t as deep or painful.

Sean had made his decision years ago, but the fact he was trying now meant something.

But she’d been right. It’d taken him weeks to get back to her on a date. When the text came in last week, she’d been stunned but wasn’t going to turn it down either.

If she had a chance to bridge that gap she’d lost with him over a decade ago, she owed it to herself to try.

After all, he was the one who noticed her first and approached her. He’d said he changed and she’d seen that because she’d had no intention of seeking him out when she returned. Being rejected again was something she could do without.

So she held onto that tiny sliver that he’d been stunned to see her and maybe he’d matured and wanted a little bit of their past brought back too.

This was the first step.

Ash had things to do and so did she. They weren’t connected at the hip and didn’t spend every night together. And she didn’t think bringing Ash into this first meeting with Sean was a good idea.

“I’m sure he told you it’s a long story.”

“He actually never said much at all,” Sara said. “I’m not from this area so I had no idea. I didn’t even know his parents died.”

“Huh?” she asked.

“It’s not something I’ve talked about much in my life, Skye,” Sean said. He didn’t look happy that Sara was bringing this up. “No one wants to remember that they were homeless.”

She sighed. This wasn’t getting off on the right foot at all.

“I’m sorry. I had no control over any of that and neither did you.”

Sara ran her hand down Sean’s arm. “I told him that too. I think he thought I’d be embarrassed or pity him. I don’t or didn’t. I think he made something of himself after what he went through.”

“It sounds it,” Skye said. Not that she knew much about his life. Nor did he know much about hers.

They hadn’t done much more than text a few times in the past few weeks.

“We all have to survive somehow,” Sean said. “Some just have to work harder than others. Some have to learn from their mistakes along the way. I have.”

“Don’t be that way,” Sara said. “He’s trying to act tough because he didn’t want to tell me about his past. I’m fine with it. I think it just makes him a stronger person.”

She found it sweet. She didn’t remember her brother ever being embarrassed about anything as a child.

Both of them were just trying to survive at the same time navigating some form of independence that was normal for a teen.

Maybe Sean rebelled more than her, but not more than other kids. Or so she thought because she didn’t know, having kept to herself most times.

“I’m glad he found you,” Skye said. “Or has you. Sean said you have a daughter?”

“Kailey. She’s with her father tonight. She’s fourteen and splits her time.”