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“You okay?” he asks, studying me from where he’s kneeling on the floor, wiping up what looks like rice in some kind of sauce.
“I’m…” I sigh. “Not really,” I tell him honestly.
He sits back on his heels. “Ruby?”
“Yeah.”
“You weren’t able to work things out?”
I look at him, confused. “What do you mean?”
He stretches to his feet, carrying the messy paper towels to the trash. “I thought maybe having some time just the two of you back here in Emerald would help you work through things. Then, when you said you were in Autre together, I was sure you were back together. I’m sorry that didn’t happen.”
“We…did work through things,” I say. “We’re madly in love.”
He looks surprised, then grins. “That’s great! But…” He frowns. “She’s staying in New Orleans, though, right? Scarlett told me about law school, that you found her a great apartment, and that she’s basically already moved in.”
I nod. “Yeah, she starts in the fall.”
“So…” Cian gives me a puzzled look.
“So what?”
“So what the fuck are you doinghere?”
Seriously? I stare at him. “Um,you’rehere. Myjobis here.”
Cian laughs. Then sobers when he realizes I’m not joking. “What? Henry… what? You’re here instead of with Ruby because ofme?”
I love this man. I really do. But sometimes I really want to punch him. Like now.
“Of course, I’m here because of you. What the hell did you think was going to happen?”
“Well, I thought that you and Ruby were going to get back together and we were all going to live here in Emerald together,” Cian admits. “But when I found out Ruby was staying in New Orleans, I assume that meant you weren’t back together. But if you are…I expect you to be with her.”
My chest feels hot and tight, and I struggle to keep my voice calm. “Instead of with you?”
“Well…yeah.” He glances toward the living room. “Henry, fuck…” He looks back at me. “If you feel for Ruby what I feelfor Scarlett, then yeah, you should be with her instead of me. Definitely.”
“You’re not just my best friend,” I remind him. “I’m not just here to hang out and shoot the shit and play video games and plan our next vacation. It’s myjobto be with you.”
“Are you worried about money?” he asks, clearly surprised by that idea. “Because I’m sure?—”
“No,” I cut him off. “It’s not about money.”
It hasn’t been about money in a long time. Maybe ever, actually. I didn’t take the job for the money. I took the job because it was exciting and because it filled the hole in my heart that my father had carved out when he made me feel at fault for not taking care of two of the most important people in my life.
The money was nice, for sure, but I’d stayed with the job because these people are my family now.
I’ve invested most of the money the O’Gradys have paid me, and it has grown very nicely over the years. My father’s will, surprisingly, left both my brother and me impressive sums and a substantial amount of property in England. Then Alfred had shocked me by leaving me not only an enormous amount of money but also his shares in a few of the companies he’d invested in, including a few of Declan’s.
So, I’m doing just fine financially.
I’m not here because of any of that.
I’m here to take care of Cian.
But as I study him now, I can’t stop the thought that goes through my mind.