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“I’m sure you were. Were you having adifficult time trying to figure out a way to do that whilesimultaneously justifying your hypocrisy?” God, I hoped he felt assquirmy and sleazy as I had when he’d confronted me about Charlotteand I. “How did it even happen? When?”
“After your blood clot.” He gestured to myleg. “When you were basically comatose. I came to see you, andCatherine was there.”
“Did you think, great, I’ll get payback nowfor him sleeping withmysister?” It was unfair to attributethat motive to him; Scott was a good person. He wouldn’t doanything that shitty.
“No.” He shook his head firmly. “It nevercrossed my mind.”
“Then how did it happen? Because I know itwasn’t her sparkling personality that attracted you to her.”
“Don’t talk about her like that,” hesnapped. He pushed his hand through his hair. “We thought you weregoing to die. She was inconsolable, and one thing led toanother.”
“I’m sorry,Catherinewasinconsolable about the fact that I might have died?” That was alittle too far-fetched.
“Yes. She doesn’t like you, but you’re stillher brother. And she was worried about the effect it would have onyour mom and— You know what? I don’t have to fix your familyproblems. If you want to know how she felt about you almost dying,go ask her yourself.” He stood up and stalked toward the door.
“You don’t have an obligation to fix myfamily problems, but if you walk out now, we’re going to have anunfixable friendship,” I warned him, getting to my feet. Thedeathly calm of my voice startled me.
He turned. “I didn’t do anything to ourfriendship that you didn’t do too.”
“You did it first.” That sounded sochildish. I tried again. “You knew you’d slept with my sister, andyou’d had enough of a relationship with her that you thought youloved her. But when I fell in love with your sister—who is nowrunning away from me as fast as a commercial airliner can fly—youacted like I’d set fire to your dog!”
“Yeah, maybe I didn’t react correctly when Iwas left at the altar while my best friend was being attacked by agrizzly bear, and he chose that exact moment to disclose that hehad sex with my much younger sister. But this is exactly what I wasworried was going to happen. She’s going to run off and break bothof your hearts.”
“She’s coming back!”
“She doesn’t come back!”
I wished he would have just punched me.
“Look,” he began, the rasp in his voice anapology, “I don’t know what happened that sent her running. But sheseemed happy with you. Happier than I’ve seen her in a long time.Did you have an argument or something?”
“No. She was a little distant after sheoverheard you and Catherine.” I’d been over and over theconversation in my mind. “We didn’t argue about it at all.”
“Maybe you said something in anger aboutme?” Scott suggested.
“Nice try.”
“I’m not asking so I can be pissed off atyou. Charlotte feels responsible for me because she feels like shefailed me when she was born.” The words must taste like gasoline tohim, judging by his expression. “If you said something sheinterpreted as unfair to me, even if it was a random comment thatyou made in anger, that could have been enough to get into herhead.”
“I don’t remember saying anything about youthat she didn’t agree with. She was more angry at you than I was.”I wish I had a transcript of the conversation. Words rose murkilyto the surface of my mind. She’d cried. What had I said rightbefore I noticed that she’d started crying?
Poetic, but not realistic. Did you saysomething like that?
“She told me about a comment you made toCatherine; that you would have given up billions to be withher.”
Scott squinted a little. “And?”
“I thought it was ridiculous,” I admitted.“You wouldn’t. I don’t know anyone who would.”
“You didn’t say that way, did you?”
Had I? “No. Something about it being…poeticand unrealistic? Do you think that’s what bothered her?”
Scott’s eyes opened wide. “Are you kiddingme? Do I think that’s what— fucking, yes! Obviously, bro!”
“Why? I mean, would you really give upbillions to be with my sister?” I asked.
“At one time, yes. I would have. Not now.But I would have. But when you said that? I guarantee she didn’thear you saying that about me.” He shook his head. “How can you beso smart and so stupid at the same time?”