Page 128 of Floodgates

“But meanwhile he has us—our family. Now his.”

“Yep.”

He sighed deeply. “Fuck, I’m so glad this worked out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you and Cord, of course.”

“I got that, but what’re you talking about?”

“I’m just happy, is all.”

I turned in my chair, wanting to see his face. “Speak.”

He sighed deeply. “Look, I can’t say for sure when it was that he first starting loving you, but I will say that it’s been years. He carried it around, but he kept it to himself, and the absolute restraint he showed while you were with Breckin was really something. I couldn’t have done it. I would have had to come clean.”

“He knew I never would have believed him.”

“Because you didn’t trust him.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“But now you do?”

“Yeah, now I do.”

His smile was huge. “I’m glad the part of you that always wanted him finally kicked in.”

I snorted. “I’m not sure that was it.”

He reached out and tousled my hair. “But so you know, you should never concern yourself with wondering if he adores you or worships you or thinks about you or whatever, because there isn’t a guy who could love you more than he does. You take up so much space in his head, and I have seen him carry that shit around, and now it’s time for you to feel that same way about him.”

“I do,” I promised, staring at my brother, who I never thought would be talking to me like he was in that moment. “I love him and I’ll take care of him, I swear.”

“Good. You’re my brother and he’s my best friend, so this has to work or I’ll be in a world of shit.”

It was all about him, as usual. “Of course.”

“Excellent,” he said, looking very pleased with himself.

“Ask you a question?”

He grunted.

“How come you were okay with me and Cord being together?”

“I don’t get what you mean. I just told you that he’s my best friend and you’re my––”

“No, I get that, but he was a dog, right? Why would you ever even trust him with me?”

“I didn’t at first,” he confessed. “When he first noticed you, I told him to forget it. I would have put a bullet in him myself if he got anywhere near you.”

I couldn’t keep from chuckling. “Oh yeah?”

His gaze locked with mine, and his tone was flat, serious. “Yeah.”

“So what changed?”