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I give her a watery smile, just managing to hold back the tears. At least one part of my life is going right again. But with this problem solved, it leaves me time now to ruminate over everything else.
The ache from earlier returns, the Connor shaped hole in my heart expanding. I have to believe it’ll get better. Minute by minute. Hour by hour. Day by day.
Otherwise, it might swallow me whole.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Connor
“Come in.”
My office door swings open, the person who enters not who I was expecting.
“Are you checking up on me?”
“That’s what brothers do, right?” Archer answers, shutting the door behind him.
“I’m fine. You didn’t need to come.”
He studies me, that sharp gaze not missing the dark circles under my eyes, my lack of normal business attire today. The thought of putting on a suit was too exhausting. It’s a wonder I made it in at all. But it’s not like anyone else will answer my calls if I’m out.
Emma’s filled my dreams on the few occasions I could sleep the past two nights. Pleading with me to listen to her in one, pushing me into traffic in another. In the final dream this morning, I walked in on her in bed with my dad. After that, I hadn’t tried to go back to sleep.
“Have you talked to Emma?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “No.” Since when is he interested in my love life? Not that I admitted anything about that to him. “Everything’s been said that needs to.”
He takes a seat in the chair in front of my desk, crossing a leg over one knee.
“Serena invited Emma to stay with us temporarily while she looks for a place. I wanted to make sure it’s cool with you.”
Why does she need somewhere to stay? What’s wrong with her house? “What are you talking about?”
“Since her dad kicked her out.”
I hate the way my heart jumps in my throat, my first instinct to check if she’s okay before I remember what happened. What she did.
“Did you know about that?” Archer asks when I remain silent.
“Are you sure it’s the truth?” I counter with. If she lied about everything else, she could be lying about this too.
He cocks his head to the side. “I trust her,” he says finally, surprising the hell out of me. Out of the three of us brothers, he’s always been the most suspicious of people. And the least forgiving.
I narrow my eyes at him, sensing I’m walking into a trap. “You don’t trust anyone.”
He shrugs easily. “I know. But she came over to talk to Serena and I listened to them in the living room from my office.”
“You eavesdropped?” That’s very unlike Archer.
“I wasn’t taking any chances. I needed to hear her explanation for myself if she’s going to be a part of Serena’s life.” Now that sounds more like him.
I look down at my desk, straightening the keyboard. “She had a good enough reason for you?” Seriously, it must have been if Archer’s on her side.
“She didn’t for you? Seems like her dad and ours are runner-ups for Father of the Year awards.”
My lips twist. “She only said Greg made her. But it’s not like anyone canmakeyou do something. She still chose to do it. Even after we—”
I cut myself off. He doesn’t need to know the details of what we did.