Page 13 of Pretend it’s Forever

“That I shouldn’t have even bothered to ask. Because they’ve never once actually cared about what I do. She wanted to go over there and strangle them, but I told her sadly that our parents had better lawyers.”

“I’m sure if I opened the door for her, and she happened to trip inside and accidentally strangle them, then, it wouldn’t be that bad,” I surmised.

“That sounds very premeditated to me,” Cora said with a soft smile, before she dug into her Caprese salad.

“Good. You need to eat more,” I ordered, grumpy as ever when it came to my baby sister not taking care of herself.

“I’m eating. I promise. Juliet won’t let me starve. I’m just so pissed off.”

“Good. Be angry. Don’t be sad.” I set down my fork, ignoring the delicious food, and shook my head. “I hate when you’re sad.”

“You are just a big marshmallow sometimes, aren’t you, big brother?”

I snorted. “Not even a little bit, little sister.”

“Well, you are. Our parents suck, Carson.”

I nodded, took another bite of lunch. “Yes. They do. They don’t deserve you. They never have.”

“They don’t deserve you.”

Little did she know… I might not be the monsters they were, but I wasn’t a good person. Not when I took what I wanted because if I didn’t, no one would believe I’d earned it. I protected people when no one else would and that meant sometimes, I walked away with darkness on my soul, etched within my bones. “I’m not on their radar anymore.”

“You are, you know it.” She snorted. “You’re in the media all the time for your company, any move you make, and anyone that happens to be on your arm. So yes, because you can do something for them, even if you don’t want to, they’re going to pay attention to you.”

“Look at you, getting snarky and perceptive when it comes to the cruelty of our parents.”

“You’ve taught me well.” She cleared her throat, and I tilted my head, studying her.

“What else? Is something wrong?”

“Other than dealing with wedding plans and the fact that our parents suck? No. But I do have a big ask of you, and I’m not sure what you’ll say about it.”

“Anything. You can tell me anything, Cora. You know that.”

“Will you give me away?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears again, but she blinked them away. “I want you to walk me down the aisle and give me away to the love of my life. Our parents won’t be there, but you will be. And you are my family.”

I swallowed hard, hating the way my throat tightened. “I don’t need to give you away, Cora. You’re your own person.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, and you’re not giving away a virgin either.”

I growled. “Really?”

“What? I’m just saying. I’m not meaning the whole give your child away because she doesn’t have any possessions of her own and she’s just a sad little woman thing. No, I would like you to walk me down the aisle so I can see my future wife and know that my family has now grown. I want to dance with my brother to a ridiculous song and just be. So what do you say, big brother? Will you give me away?”

I pulled back from the table and moved around so I could stand next to her. She wrapped her arms around me, and I kissed the top of her head once again.

“Of course. You are my baby sister, my family. My everything. Of course I’ll give you away. I mean, if Juliet’s going to be the one to actually deal with you, it only makes sense.”

She slapped my chest, and I threw my head back and laughed, ignoring some of the other patrons. Maybe I was far more uncouth than I gave myself credit for.

And as I sat back at the table and finished my lunch, I listened as my sister spoke of happiness and her future, and I was grateful for her. So fucking happy to see that she was healing, and a whole person. Fuck whatever my parents thought.

And if Cora wanted to believe in love, maybe she had found it with Juliet. But she was one of the few people I knew who would ever have that. That much I knew.

Chapter Three

SOPHIA