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“I don’t hate you,” Ian says quietly. “I could never hate you, Abby. Regardless of how we came into each other’s lives, you’re my sister.” He pulls back, peering down at her. “And it wasn’t just my mother I wanted to protect—it was you too.”
Abby looks confused. “Me?”
“I know you still want things from our father that I’ve long since learned he can’t give,” Ian says gently. “I wanted to protect you from this image you had of him. I wanted to hope that he could be the person you wanted him to be. Eventually.”
Abby’s face crumples, her lip quivering as her eyes fill with tears. “But he won’t,” she whispers. “Will he? He doesn’t want me.”
“Sweetheart,” Ian chokes. He draws her in close, squeezing her tight. I can feel my own eyes prickling, the emotion between these two siblings, the weight of everything they’ve suffered banding them together like this making me eternally grateful for having Jack all these years. Even when he was a complete dumbass, he’s always been there for me. It’s so gratifying to see Ian finally have a chance to be that for Abby. “I wish he could be,” Ian says thickly. “I wish you could have that. I really do. You’ve suffered so much. You’re twenty-five years old, and you’ve lived more life than most of us. It’s not fair. It really isn’t. I should have been there for you more. I was so busy waiting for our father to step up that I never even tried to do it myself.”
“No,” Abby argues, shaking her head against his chest. “It’s not your—”
“But it is,” Ian shushes her. “It’s just as much my fault as it is his. I can sit here and blame you for what you did, but I’m just as complicit. I kept the secret right along with him. I did what he told me to do because I thought it was better for everyone, but lies never solve anything. Lying to save someone from pain only delays it. Eventually, that hurt always comes back around, and the longer you put it off, the more power it has.”
“I’m sorry,” Abby cries. “I’m so sorry, Ian.”
“Shh.” He strokes her back, and I can feel my own eyes watering as I watch them. “Stop. I may not understand the way you went about this, but I understand why you needed to do it. It’s something you never should have had to do in the first place.”
“He’s going to hate me now,” Abby whimpers.
Ian presses his cheek to her hair. “No matter what happens, I’ll be here. You have me. I won’t ever abandon you. Okay?”
“Okay,” she rasps, clutching him tight. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop.” Ian closes his eyes, blowing out a breath. “We both have things to be sorry for, but instead of dwelling on them, let’s just try to be better, yeah?”
“Don’t be sorry, be better?” Abby says with a watery laugh.
Ian smiles. “Put that on a T-shirt.”
“Fuck me,” Jack says finally, and honestly, I’m surprised he was able to keep quiet for so long. I love him, but subtle, he is not. “That was beautiful. Do we have tissues? I might need some therapy after watching that.”
Abby lifts her head to give Jack a puzzled look.
“Ignore him, Abby,” I tell her, shooting my brother a glare. “He can’t help himself.”
Jack pouts. “What did I do?”
“Sorry,” Abby says again, wiping her eyes as she looks around the room sheepishly. “None of you signed up for this shit today.”
“You’re fine,” Jack tells her, waving her off. “Our parents are totally dead. We get it.”
I throw a pillow at him. “Jack!”
“What?” He ducks out of the way, looking genuinely confused by my outburst, which, of course he does. “I was commiserating!”
Abby is still gawking at my brother like he’s from another planet, and honestly, I get it.
I’m just about to tell my brother off again when his pocket starts going crazy, and he lifts his hips to dig for his phone with his good hand, frowning at the screen. He winces, peeking over at Ian. “It’s Coach.”
“Fuck,” Ian huffs, untangling himself from his sister and running his hand through his hair. “He tried to call me earlier.”
“Going to have to face the music sometime,” Jack points out.
Ian nods. “I might as well get over there and explain.”
“I can come with you,” Jack says, shooting up from the couch. “I’m an excellent wingman.”
“This isn’t a wingman situation,” Ian says.
