“Not everything! I love you, Reece.”
“You don’t know the first thing about love.” He expected her to flinch, had calculated the barb to sting. And by the way she momentarily squeezed her eyes shut, he guessed he’d hit his mark. But there was no satisfaction in it. Only more hurt, for both of them.
Shelby didn’t stay hurt, though. Color infused her pale cheeks and she let go of his arm, shoved him. “And you know all about love, is that right? You don’t even know who you are! You can’t love somebody until you love yourself.”
“Then it’s a good thing I was wrong about loving you.”
She sucked in a sharp breath and backed up a step. If he had gutted her, he thought he’d see less pain in her expression than he saw now and, despite his anger, part of him wanted to go to her, soothe away the hurt he’d just caused. Because of that, he continued to the door.
“That’s not true. I know that’s not true,” she said behind him. “You’ve spent your entire adult life pretending to be this unfeeling, uptight asshole, and you’re not. You’re not that guy. Why can’t you let the real Reece out? Why not do something wild and crazy and illogical for once and take a chance?”
He glanced back over his shoulder. “On you?”
“Yes! On us.”
“Because that’s worked out so well for your sister all these years. Every time she’s taken a chance on you, it’s blown up in her face.”
She flinched. “It’s not the same.”
“Yeah. It is.” Rubbing at the ache blooming right where his heart should be, he opened the door. “When I come home Saturday, I want you gone.”
“Reece.” Her voice broke. “Please don’t do this to us.”
“I’m not the one doing it,” he said and closed the door behind him, blocking out her sobs.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Although returning to her sister’s house with Poe’s cage in hand and tears splotching her face felt a little—okay, a lot—like defeat, Shelby had no place else to go. So here she was, standing on the front stoop, praying she wouldn’t be turned away.
Eva opened the door and just stood there, unmoving, staring through the screen, disappointment in her eyes. How many times had this scene played out over the years? Dozens. She was the yo-yo sister, always bouncing back after a bad breakup or quitting yet another job.
God, she sucked at life.
Finally, Eva heaved out a sigh and stepped back. “I haven’t touched your room.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered and shut the door behind her. She set Poe’s cage in its usual spot on a table near the door. “It will only be for a few days this time. I’ll find my own place.”
“Ugh, that’s not the point, Shelby.” Exasperation in her every move, Eva scrubbed her face with both hands, dragged her fingers through her dark hair, and tugged on the strands. “You shouldn’t have lied to Reece. Shouldn’t have married him, knowing you were lying. Shouldn’t have made me make the choice between keeping your father’s identity a secret or telling my husband. You know how much that sucked?”
“I know. I’m so sorry. I hope you and Cam didn’t fight about it.”
“We did.” She dropped her hands to her sides and her shoulders slumped. “I just…I really wish you’d tell me the whole truth. It’s always lies and half-truths and it’s like walking through a minefield, waiting for one to blow up on me. I’m exhausted by it, Shelby. I don’t know how you aren’t.”
Shelby swallowed, trying to ease the tension in her throat. “I am. I’ve wanted to tell you everything so many times, but I couldn’t. Didn’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice.”
“Not really.” Sucking in a fortifying breath, she met her sister’s gaze. “For the past six years, I’ve been a snitch for the ATF. It was my information that put my father in jail.”
Eva blinked once. Again. She opened her mouth, but no sound emerged for a good thirty seconds. “Excuse me?”
“That’s why I had to lie to you. If anyone ever found out I was the one who snitched, I’d be dead.”
“Oh…Jesus Christ.” Eva paced away, hands carving into her hair again. She held it back from her face for a long moment, then let it drop and whirled around. “I’m not anyone, Shel. I’m your sister! You should have—”
The doorbell rang and they both froze.
“Are you expecting company?” Shelby whispered.