Page 65 of Filthy Rich Temptation

She sucks in a breath and leans back slightly, hands settling gently on my shoulders as her glistening hazel eyes sweep over me.

‘You look amazing, Sadie. Truly. When I think of the state you were in at the airport a few weeks ago…’ She shakes her head, a soft sigh escaping. ‘I didn’t dare touch you.’

Is she sayingthat’swhy she didn’t hug me?

‘You were so pale, clutching Lottie against you, twitching every time anyone got too close. Me included. But now, look at you. You’re glowing.’

Glowing?

A flustered laugh sticks in my throat. Because any extra colour in my cheeks has less to do with healing and more to do with Theo. The way he looked at me right before I left. The way he made me feel like his every want, every need…

‘This calls for champagne,’ she announces.

‘Champagne?’ The laugh spills out.

I shouldn’t be surprised. She probably drinks the good stuff for breakfast, lunch, and dinner these days. Whereas I barely drink at all.

She gestures to the bartender, who nods in silent understanding, then ushers me into a velvet booth tucked in the corner.

‘What are we celebrating?’ I ask.

‘You breaking free of Danny, of course.’

I stare across the booth at her, eyes locking, and the guilt rises, filling my chest until I can barely breathe. ‘I should’ve listened to you, Tay. You were trying to protect me, and I pushed you away. I hurt you. And I’m so, so sorry.’

She leans in and takes my hand, her eyes welling with mine. ‘Are youseriouslyapologising to me? After I let you walk away?’

‘Let me? I didn’t give you a choice.’

‘I had a choice. I had the means. I could’ve followed you. Tried harder to make you see him for the man he was.’

‘And you really think I would’ve listened?’

She studies me quietly for a long moment. ‘No, not back then. But after… I should have checked in on you. I should have flown over and seen you for myself. I should have done anything other than what I did… Nothing.’

‘Why would you after everything I said? After how I was… Not calling you, not… not…’ I sniff as a tear slips down my cheek, and I swipe it away. ‘I’m so ashamed.’

‘Hey…’ She squeezes my hand. ‘You were hurting. And you were protecting him. He’s the bad guy in all of this, not you.’

‘But I never should’ve said those things to you. It was cruel, unfair…’

‘It wasn’ttotallyunfair. There was some truth to it. You’d been my responsibility for so long that I struggled to cut the strings. Iwasoverprotective. Suffocating, I believe you said.’

I flinch. ‘Don’t remind me.’

‘But I was, Sadie. Whether it was beauty school or Danny, I didn’t want you to go. And that was wrong. As for all that stuff about relationships, I’ll hold my hand up to it…’

‘No,’ I huff. ‘I had no business judging you for that.’

‘It doesn’t bother me.’ She gives a coy smile. ‘I own my sex life. Iamall about the no-strings fun…’

I choke on a laugh. ‘Okay, sis, TMI.’

Because now she’s got me thinking about Theo and all the no-strings fun we could have…

I swiftly cross my legs beneath the table, squeezing them tight against the pulsing ache, too eager to wake.

‘But seriously…’ Her smile softens. ‘If I could go back and change how we left things, I would. If I could go back and see Danny off, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But I can’t. What I can do is be here for you now. For you and Lottie. I want to be a good sister. A good aunt. If you’ll let me.’