“What’s gotten into me?” Normally, he wouldn’t grumble about Noelle to her. He felt it was his fault Noelle was in his life, and he had to stand up and carry that cross without complaining, especially to Olivia, the person he’d wronged by getting involved with Noelle in the first place.
But perhaps it was time for Olivia to understand the situation from his perspective. “Your sister is driving me nuts, that’s what,” he said. “We’ve been divorced for five years, and she still won’t leave me alone. She calls me for money constantly. Asks me over to fix something when it’s not really broken—or she broke it on purpose. Shows up uninvited at my place, sometimes at odd hours, like when she’s getting off work late at night. Stops if she sees my truck in town so I can’t visit a restaurant in peace. Calls to tell me a certain show is on. Hints that I should take her to romantic places—or just to dinner. Offers me sex, even though I don’t want to be with her in that way and haven’t been since before the divorce. Tell me, what does a guy have to do to get rid of her?”
She sat down. “Have you ever loved her?”
“That’s your response?”
“It’s a fair question.”
Maybe it was a fair question, but it struck at the heart of his guilt. “What do you think?”
She gave him a pleading look. “Can’t we have an honest discussion, Kyle? Please? So much between us has gone unsaid. We were both involved in the same emotional...wreck, for lack of a better word. There was a lot of painful drama. And now there are scars. Maybe it’s time to...to finally address it all.”
“Does Brandon know you’re here?”
“Of course. He agreed I should come.”
“Fine.” He thought they might both live to regret the next few minutes but sank into the chair behind his desk. “What do you want to address? I never loved Noelle. You already know that.” And she knew why, although he wasn’t willing to state the reason. “I tried, but it was a losing battle from the start.”
Her lips slanted down. “Don’t you see how tragic that is?”
So this was going to be a pity party for Noelle? Kyle wasn’t feeling it. “Of course I can see it. Or can’t you see that her inability to function in life is what shackles me to her?”
When she studied him without speaking, he nearly stood as a signal that she should take her leave. What else could the two of them have to discuss? It didn’t matter what residual feelings he might or might not have; nothing would change the fact that she was married to Brandon.
“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” she said.
He rubbed his face. “That’s something you definitely don’t need to apologize for, Olivia. We all know that the whole thing was my fault.”
“I didn’t fall in love with Brandon to get back at you. I’d like you to know that.”
“I understand. He’s irresistible.”
“Really? Sarcasm? That’s how you’re going to respond?”
He cleared his throat. “Sorry. Look, like I told him last week, I’m glad you’re both happy. That’s God’s honest truth.”
“Yes, that’s why we’ve been able to have such a good relationship with you. Not many people would be capable of putting what happened behind them, no matter whose fault it was. And trust me, I have no illusions that Noelle wasn’t as much or more to blame than you were.” When she gave him the small, rueful smile that followed those words, he realized it was the first time since she’d arrived that he’d felt that little hitch in his chest—the one he normally experienced on first sight. “I want to make sure the relationship we’ve built—as a family this time—isn’t getting destroyed.”
Brandon had said the same thing, so they’d clearly discussed it. “Every relationship goes through transitions. We’ll be fine.”
“I hope you’re right.” Her smile grew more relaxed. “So you’re with Lourdes Bennett now, huh? A country music star? Ted said the two of you were in his hot tub last night.”