Page 71 of Perfect Together
A loud sob followed, and Sam pushed open the door without knocking.
Nicole spun around at the sound of his entrance and immediately wiped her eyes with her hands.
“Don’t pretend nothing’s wrong.”
She visibly stilled. “I’m fine.”
He shook his head and stepped closer. “No, you’re not. I heard your end of the call. Whatever’s wrong with your sister, you don’t have to hide it from me.”
“But—”
“But I’m here for you. End of discussion.” He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Ignoring how his body lit up at contact wasn’t easy, but she needed more than sex to make her feel better now. “Talk to me.”
Nicole pushed out of his embrace. “My sister isn’t getting better. She’s fighting the meds, and when she told me she would have permission to come out on leave? That was her being delusional.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She let out a harsh laugh. “It protects your family from having to deal with her any time in the near future.”
She spun away, but he caught her arm, halting her emotional retreat. “Hey! Don’t run away from me.”
She turned, her glassy red eyes kicking him in the gut.
“I’ve always dealt with Victoria’s issues and problems myself.”
He nodded. After she’d broken off her engagement, she’d been alone. She’d chosen to move to Serendipity. Alone. And now she’d taken this hit from her twin, expecting to be—alone.
His heart broke a little more as he realized how solitary her life had been. He didn’t want her to be alone right now. Not when she had him.
“Come back here.” He extended his arms.
She hesitated a brief second, then launched herself into his embrace. He brought her to the bed and let her cuddle into him, stroking her hair as she cried.
“She’s in a good place,” Sam said of her twin. “You know she’s getting help, not out on her own, where she could possibly hurt herself.”
Nicole hiccuped in an attempt to catch her breath, and she managed a small laugh. “I know that. I do. I guess—” She trailed off, obviously not wanting to explain.
“Come on. Let it out.” His hand cupped the back of her head, urging her to talk to him.
She sighed. “I let myself start to think about the possibility that she’d come out whole and healthy, ready to live her life. And maybe then I’d have someone there for me always. Like sisters are supposed to be. Like family is supposed to be.”
He heard the hurt and disappointment in her voice and ached for her. “I get it. But you’re making solid friends in Serendipity, right?”
She pushed back, turning to face him, propping herself up with one hand. “I am. It’s still new, but I feel comfortable and welcomed.”
“What about your friends at home?” he asked, curious about her past life.
“They’re all caught up in the social scene I grew up in. I kept up appearances when I was working for Tyler’s mother’s campaign because I needed their support, but after I broke off the engagement and moved away...” She shrugged. “I didn’t keep in touch with them and vice versa.”
He reached out and rolled her on top of him. She was wearing an oversized T-shirt that hiked up on her thighs. And though he had on a pair of cargo shorts and a soft T-shirt, he was suddenly hot and felt overly constricted in his clothes.
“You’re brave, do you know that?” he asked, focusing on what was important and what she needed from him now, not his body’s aggressive demands.
“If you consider running away brave.”
He brushed her hair off her face. “I consider walking away from a life that didn’t suit you brave. Same with picking up and starting over in a new place.”
Her eyes warmed at his compliments.