The Risks We Take Duet Box Set

69. Carys

CARYS

E merson is still struggling, but she recognizes it, which is a start. We got Elodie cleaned up and fed before I basically put both Em and her down for a nap. I’m about to sneak out of her bedroom when my phone vibrates in my pocket with an incoming call. Darting down the hall, I pull the phone out to see Aiden’s name flashing across the screen and debate not answering just as the vibrating stops.

Okay. Guess that’s that, then.

Until the vibrating starts again. Damnit. I slide my finger across the screen and lift it to my ear as I walk down the stairs. “Hey.” Because this isn’t going to be awkward as hell.

“Carys.” His tone is clipped and quiet.

Two things my brother never is.

He’s the talker in the bunch.

The one who’s always laughing and loud.

“Listen, I’m going to be in town this weekend for a game Sunday night. I got permission from my Coach to see you Saturday.” That’s it. No hi, how are you doing? No I’m sorry for being a jackass . Just I’ll be in town .

“Aiden... It’s been a really long few days. The funeral was earlier in the week, and Emerson had the baby the next day. She just got home from the hospital. I don’t know if I can meet you Saturday. And to be honest, I don’t know if I have the energy to fight with you either.” One of the things this whole mess has forced me to realize is that honesty may not always be the easiest thing, but I’m no longer filtering what parts of me my family gets.

This is me.

Take it or leave it.

“Care Bear, I’m playing a game thirty minutes from your house. I’m staying at a hotel fifteen minutes from you. At the very fucking least, let me come see you.” He waits a moment, then adds, “Please.”

“Wow. Sabrina really has you house-trained, huh? You just said please.” It’s a low blow, but I’m still mad at him.

“How about I bring dinner? It’s got to be early though. I promised Coach I’d be back by eight.” His voice sounds hopeful, and I should probably be grateful he’s making an effort.

“Fine. Be here at four. And bring enough food for everyone.” Cooper and Rook eye me as they come in from outside.

Coop silently asks who I’m talking to.

“Yeah, big brother.” I watch a flash of annoyance cross Cooper’s face. “Everyone. Emerson’s home from the hospital with Elodie. And Cooper’s staying here for a while?—”

He cuts me off before I have a chance to finish. “Are you fucking kid?—”

“Love you, Aiden,” I singsong as I hang up.

This should be fun.

“Your brother’s coming? Am I invited for dinner too?” Rook asks, a little too excited by the idea.

I stand from the bottom step I’ve been sitting on and run a hand down Cooper’s chest, startling him. “You might not want to be here that night. Aiden was pretty pissed when I told everyone about us.”

Rook grabs his keys from the counter and smiles. “You’ve been shot. Shouldn’t that be a Get Out of Jail Free card?”

I move to block Rook’s path. “Excuse me, but am I the jail in this scenario?” He surprises me when he hugs me, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

“Push him, Carys. He might not be ready to admit it yet, but he needs you.” When he pulls away, there’s a devious glint in his hazel eyes.

I catch my bottom lip between my teeth and nod. “I gotcha. Thanks, soldier.”

Rook growls, “You do it just to piss me off, don’t you? You’ve got to know the difference between a soldier and a sailor by now.”

I laugh and walk into the kitchen as Cooper follows Rook to the door and locks it behind him.

“Are you hungry?” The fridge is full of leftovers from the reception after the funeral. “Bingo.” I pull out a small tin of lasagna and pop it in the oven. “This should warm up in a few minutes.”

“Thanks,” Coop murmurs without looking up.

Great. We’re back to one-word answers. “You know, I was joking earlier about you not being here when Aiden comes Saturday night, but it might actually be a good idea for you to let me deal with him first.”

Cooper’s face softens when he steps in front of me and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear, then wraps that same hand around my neck in a possessive move I know and love. “He was that bad in Kroydon Hills?”

I think back to that day.

To the fear and the pain.

To the silent deals I made with whatever god there was for me to beg.

Then I remember what it felt like to tell our family I was in love with this man and the horrible way my brother responded, and a chill runs down my spine. “Yeah, it was pretty awful and unlike Nattie, Aiden and I haven’t spoken since.”

“You and Nattie have talked it through though? I’ve texted her, but we haven’t talked since the hospital.”

“Oh, Cooper.” I tip my head back to look at him. “You’ve got to talk to her. She’s so worried about you.”

“Tell me about it.” His words are demanding as they dance across my skin. “Tell me what happened that day.”

“You don’t want to hear this, Coop.” I trace my finger along the bruise under his eye that’s almost completely faded away. “It was hell. We were all in hell.” My thumb trails down his cheek, then over his bottom lip as the muscles in his throat tighten.

“No one knew about us, and at first, I couldn’t have cared less. We were all a mess, so no one noticed I was catatonic except Chloe and Belles.” I fight back the tears that well in my eyes as I’m drawn back to the worst day of my life.

“Then we got the call, and we found out you were alive, and I...” The words get caught in my throat as I try to choke down the emotions. “We all...” No words can adequately explain the pain I experienced after that.

I swallow down the anguish and force myself to keep going. “I needed Coach to let me go with him to Germany, so I had to tell them all. And honestly, by then, I’d have screamed it from the Empire State Building if it meant I got to see you.” I picture my brother’s reaction and cringe as the first tear falls. “Nattie and Aiden...”

Cooper takes pity on me and pulls me into his arms as I sob against his chest. “We thought you were dead, and then you weren’t. I couldn’t let Coach go to you alone. I needed to be there. I had to. For me, and I thought for you too. So I told them the truth.” I curl my arms around his shoulders, holding him tight to me, feeling his heart beat against mine. “I told them I loved you and that I was going.”

“How did they take it?” His words are soft. Concerned.

“I honestly thought Nattie was going to take a swing at me. But I ended up being the only one to hit anyone.” I’d never done that before in my life.

Cooper pulls me back and frames my face. “Who’d you hit, baby?”

My entire body relaxes at his words.

When he’s not actively trying to hate me, the love I know he still has for me slips out.

I wish I could physically wrap the words around me. “I slapped Aiden.”

He doesn’t speak. He just stares at me, then shifts his eyes to look out the window.

I feel like I’m losing him. Like we were making progress and it’s slipping through my fingers. “We can fix this right now, Cooper. We can fix it all. Everything I broke can be fixed in a single breath.” My lips brush gently over his before he backs away and rips his ringing phone from his pocket.

“Shit,” he mutters, then looks from the phone to me. “I can’t do this right now, Carys.”

“What changed, Coop? What happened?” I’m desperate to know what I can do to fix it.

He looks at me with anguished eyes. “Everything,” he tells me before heading outside and slamming the door shut behind him.

The thud of the heavy door echoes just as Elodie’s cries carry down the stairs.

I feel you, sister. You and I are both going to have ourselves a good cry.