Page 101 of The Rebel Billionaire

"You know he would, Aiden. How couldhenot?"

"I haven't done the best job holding us together," Aiden said. "Annalise is gone, roaming the world, too scared to come home. We almost lost Vance. Gage ismissing—"

Aiden's voice choked in his throat and he stopped talking. I wrapped my arm around his broad chest and squeezed. He and Gage had been two peas in a pod growing up, inseparable, their dark heads always together, plotting andplanning.

Aiden missed him, and now he felt guilty that Gage might never come home. I got up and grabbed the empty whiskey glass from the side table, filling it from the bottle on Aiden's smallwetbar.

"Drink," I said, handing him theglass.

"It's a little early for that," he said,takingit.

"Just drink it." I sat back down beside him, leaning into his side, my head on his shoulder. "You know you're not responsible for all of us,right?"

He finished the drink and set the empty glass down. Shaking his head at me, he said, "Of courseIam."

"But this stuff isn't your fault. None of it. You did your best after everything. You made us all go to counseling. You were only twenty, Aiden. What else were you supposed to do? And Gage left you. He should have stayed. I've been so angry with him for leaving us. And now he might notcomehome."

Tears welled again and I swiped them away. Aiden exhaled inagust.

"Me too, Charlie. And now I feel like shit about it. I got it. Got why he left. But it still hurt. I have to believe he'scominghome."

"He will," I said, but it felt like a lie. Aiden was silent for a long moment, staring at nothing acrosstheroom.

"Did I tell you I like your hair?" he asked, reaching over to tuck a strand behindmyear.

"No. Do youreally?"

"I do. You look beautiful. Younger. And I love your new house. Even if it means you're not living here where I can keep an eyeonyou."

"Hmph." I made a frustrated sound in the back of my throat. "I might notgoback."

"Sure you will. But stay here for a day or two. Aunt Amelia and the new nurse are moving in next week. Mrs. Williamson could use your help getting themsettled."

"I'll stay for a day or two," I agreed. "Ifit'llhelp."

"It would. I'll ask Mrs. Williamson to order us a big breakfast to soak up the whiskey and we can go over the logistics, figure out where we should put them and what we need. I could useahand."

Aiden pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Mrs. Williamson about breakfast. Back in the day, the house had a complex system of internal phones andbells.

Now we just textedMrs.W.

So mucheasier.

Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he started thinking out loud, running through bedroom options for Aunt Amelia andSophie.

He was distracting me. Aiden and Mrs. W could have handled an invading army without help. They didn't need meforthis.

I was grateful for the excuse to avoid my place for a few days. With Lucas out of my life, I didn't think I could face my empty house, knowing that while he'd be back in Atlanta eventually, he was never coming backtome.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

LUCAS

Ilayon my hotel bed staring at the ceiling. It was the middle of the night and I needed to sleep. I was ready to wrap this job up sooner than I'd expected. Especially considering that I was afuckingmess.

I hadn't slept more than a few hours at a time since I'd leftAtlanta.

Since I'd leftCharlie.