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I don’t answer her. She already knows.

“You seemed to move on just fine.” Her eyebrows slide up.

“I’m not the same person I used to be. I made mistakes, but I’ve grown. It’s different with him now.”

“I’ll always protect my little brother.”

“I get it. You’re a good sister. But I need you to know that no matter how hard you try, I’m not going anywhere. So let’s just pretend to get along, okay?”

Her lips thin with anger. “Sean’s going to come to the conclusion one day that you’re bad for him. I hope you know that.”

“Well, that’ll be his decision to make. Won’t it?”

She glowers at me, turning away.

As soon as her back is to me, I let out a heavy sigh, standing completely still.

I want to hate her for this, but I know she’s only doing it because she loves Sean. I wonder whether we’ll ever be able to get away from the past.

I skip the bathroom altogether and slip out the front door, heading outside toward the river. It’s easier to breathe out here.

I find a bench down by the shoreline facing the water. Sprinkles of rain hit the top of my head, but it could be worse. It could be snow.

Twenty minutes go by when footsteps approach behind me.

“What are you doing out here? I’ve been looking every-where for you,” Sean says, sitting beside me.

I look over at him, my voice fragile and shaky. “You knew your sister didn’t want us to be together.”

He sighs, closing his eyes. “Did she say something to you?”

I look back out at the water. The river is moving slower than usual, gently grazing over the rocks.

“She didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know,” I mutter.

“Bee, she isn’t right. Not about any of it.”

His hand is warm on my thigh. I didn’t notice that I’d been shivering. I was so lost in thought.

“The past is always there with us, giving me constant reminders of everything that went wrong. I thought I was past it—moving on. I did it with Graham. I don’t understand why it’s so much harder with you.”

The bench rocks as Sean’s body twists toward me. His knee bumps into mine.

“Maybe, that’s the point,” he says. “It’s hard because, like you said before, this is real. It’s the realest thing you’ve ever felt.”

I smirk, looking at him from under my lashes. “Don’t put words in my mouth.” I laugh.

“No, no, I think I heard you saying it in your sleep, actually,” he jokes back, before becoming genuine again. “No, but really, Bee. I’ve already gotten over the past, so will everyone else.”

“That’s easier said than done.”

It’s easy to say that everyone will just move on. But it’s not that simple. My dad and I are a great example. It took ten years, and even though his divorce should have brought us together instantly—it didn’t.

“Your sister seems to really hate me,” I add.

Sean scoffs. “She’s just overprotective. She’s doing it in the wrong way, but she means well.”

Throwing his arm over my shoulder, he pulls me to him.