Page 98 of Raise Me Up

Of course, my twin knows something's off. I shouldn’t have called him. With Z fully back in his life, I don’t want anything to pop his bubble of happiness. He worked so hard for it.

It’s just… I don’t have anyone else to comfort me right now.

I want my twin.

“Are you home?” I ask.

“Shit. What’s going on, sis?”

I push out a shaky breath as tears continue to fall. “I don’t know, Hail.”

It’s partially the truth. I don’t know what’s wrong with Beau, and I don’t know what kind of storm is raging in Liam’s head right now. I don’t know what the future holds for us. Everything feels like it’s coming apart at the seams.

“Hurry up and get over here,” Hail replies.

After crying in my car until my head pounds with its own heartbeat, I drive to my brother’s house.

I’m torn between feeling like I’m interrupting and also a little curious to get to know the man who wrapped my brother around his finger. Ever since the pool party, I’ve done my best to give them space to put down roots.

More like, I’ve had enough going on juggling two men that I haven’t had time to bug my brother.

Hail flings open the front door as I raise a finger to the doorbell. One look at my puffy red face, and he’s yanking me into a crushing hug.

I nuzzle my face against his worn shirt. “Missed you.”

We break apart as Z pads toward us from the dark hallway. He’s dressed down in joggers and a t-shirt that shows off his long, pale arms. He’s arguably the prettiest man I’ve ever seen with his inky curls and crystal blue eyes.

Don’t get me started on his voice. It was wild to piece together his quiet, unsure personality with his incredible, deep vibrato.

“Hello,” he greets in that shy, accented voice.

“Hi, Z. Sorry for intruding like this.” I try for a self-deprecating smile.

“No apology needed. You’re always welcome here.”

Hail tugs me inside and shuts the door, plunging us into darkness. “We were too tired to get freaky, anyway.”

I scrunch up my nose as I toe off my shoes beside the door. “That’s information I didn’t need in my brain.”

“Yes. Please stop traumatizing your sister.”

With my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I catch the disapproving look Z gives Hail. It quickly turns into something tender. My brother stares back like he doesn’t believe Z is real. Like he hung the very moon in the sky.

God, they’re cute.

My parents assume their relationship is some young-life crisis hitting my brother or a middle fingers up response to their strict beliefs, but it’s easy to see they love each other.

Hail found his human.

While Z drifts off in the house, Hail guides me to the couch. “Alright. Spill.”

I wrap my arms around a throw pillow and rest my chin on the top of it. “It’s just…been a long night. I might be overreacting.”

As much as I want to delve into what happened, mentioning Beau’s seizure would bring up questions on what I was doing in Liam’s house. I know my twin would be the last person to ever judge me, but I’m not sure I’m ready to disclose everything that’s happened between us.

Because what if it’s all over?

“Is it mom and dad?” Hail asks.