Forever Too Far (9 page)

“I’ll deal with Blaire. This won’t happen again. But you need to start finding ways to let go of this

bitterness Nan. I can’t help you if you keep acting like this in front of Kiro. He is used to dealing with Harlow. Not you. Harlow is quiet and keeps to herself. That’s all Kiro will put up with and I am sure

as a child she figured that out fast. You need to realize Kiro won’t accept you for you. He is spoiled

and selfish. He’s a legend. People adore him and he thrives on it.”

“I hate my life. I... I think sometimes that it would be easier on everyone if I just ended it.”

I felt a sharp ache in my chest and I reached over and pulled her into my arms. “You can’t do that

because I love you. I want you around. You need a chance to find happiness, Nan. Don’t do this to

yourself. And don’t ever, and I mean EVER, say something like that again.”

She nodded against my chest and began to cry softly. I wondered if my wounded sister would ever be

healed.

It was several hours later before I got back to the house. Nan was at her hotel. She refused to stay in

the house with Kiro and Harlow. I had texted Blaire twice and I’d heard nothing from her. I was

worried. I kept telling myself that she was asleep.

I hurried up to our room and opened the door to find her curled up on the bed asleep. She was still

wearing her dress and she looked cold. I walked over to her and started to undress her gently. I didn’t

want to wake her but I also didn’t want her uncomfortable while she slept.

Once I had her undressed I pulled back the covers and tucked her in. I couldn’t believe she’d said

something hurtful to Nan. But then Nan had been adamant that Blaire had lashed out at her. It was

probably the pregnancy hormones. I bent down and kissed Blaire’s head before standing up and

heading to go get a shower. We’d not even been here one day and I was already stressed and ready to

leave.

The banging on the door started just after my head hit the pillow. Or at least it felt like it. Blaire

stirred in my arms and I noticed the sun pouring in through the windows. Maybe I had gotten some

sleep.

“Who’s that?” Blaire asked in a sleepy whisper.

I wasn’t sure but I hadn’t wanted Blaire woken up like this. I knew she’d sat up late waiting on me.

“Not sure. Stay here,” I replied and kissed her head before getting out of the bed and pulling on my

discarded jeans.

I jerked open the bedroom door to find my dad looking hung over and pissed. “You got shit to deal

with. Whatever the fuck you said to Nan last night didn’t help. Her ass is moving in,” Dean snarled.

That was a step in the right direction. She needed a chance to get used to Kiro. This would be good

for them. “Then my talk did help. It’s time Kiro accepts her and makes up for lost time.”

Dean let out a hard laugh. “That won’t happen, Rush. You’re blowing smoke up her ass if that’s what

you’re telling her. Kiro is Kiro. He ain’t a fucking daddy figure and that is what she wants.”

Maybe. But I had to at least help her try.

“Just get downstairs and help before all hell breaks loose,” Dean said before turning and stalking off.

I closed the door before turning back to Blaire. She was sitting up in bed with her hair messy from

sleep and the sheet pulled up to her bare chest. What I really wanted was to crawl back in bed with

her and forget this bullshit with Nan.

“I’m sorry,” I told her as I walked back over to the bed.

She frowned. “When did you get back last night?”

“Late. Nan was difficult.”

Blaire nodded stiffly then dropped her gaze from mine. I went over to her side of the bed and sat

down beside her then slipped a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at me. “Hey,

what’s wrong?”

She let out a weary sigh. “You could have called. I waited for you to call. I fell asleep worried about

you.”

“I did call,” I assured her. “You didn’t answer.”

Blaire reached for her phone and looked down at it. “You called me after eleven. I had fallen asleep

by that time. I meant you could have called sooner than that.”

She was right. I should have. Damn Nan and Kiro. I was not going to put Blaire second to anyone else

again. I had sworn she came first and I meant it. Yet last night I’d let her down.

I was trying very hard not to sound like a baby but I was upset.

“I should have called you sooner. I’m sorry. Nan started threatening to off herself and I panicked. I

was in big brother mode.”

He was always in big brother mode with Nan. Coming here I knew I was in for a lot of Nan but it was

harder than I’d imagined. Especially after the way she’d treated me last night. I didn’t believe for a

minute that she’d kill herself.

“She’s manipulating you. I hate to see her do that.”

Rush stood up and ran his hand through his hair and walked over to the window. He didn’t agree with

me. I could tell by the stiff way he was holding his shoulders. He looked defensive. “She’s upset and

hurt. I know she’s been a bitch to you in the past but right now I need you. For me, could you not say

hurtful things to her? I’m really worried about her mental stability at the moment.”

Hurtful things? I hadn’t said anything to Nan. Did he think I was going to? “I was the one who said we

should come. I understand she needs your help. Why would you think that I would say hurtful things to

her?” I asked, standing up.

Rush let his head fall back and he closed his eyes tightly like he really didn’t want to be having this

conversation. Something was wrong.

“I know what you said to her last night at the table. She told me. And yeah, you have every right to say those things to her but right now I just need you not to. The sooner I can fix this the sooner we head

back to Rosemary and leave this nightmare.”

“What did I say to her last night at the table? I’m not following you,” I replied feeling a sick knot in my stomach. Was Nan lying about me? She was the one who had said hurtful things at the table. Not

me.

“She feels like you made fun of her. Just ... it’s probably best if you just don’t talk to her.”

I sat back down on the bed and let last night’s conversations run through my head. How did she feel

like I’d made fun of her? She’d attacked me.

A soft knock on the door interrupted what I was about to say and Rush let out a frustrated growl

before stalking over to open it.

“Sorry. I don’t want to disturb y’all but Nan is demanding to know what room is Daddy’s. She

doesn’t need to wake him up. That would be bad,” Harlow’s soft-spoken voice sounded anxious.

“Shit,” Rush muttered. He glanced back at me. “I’m sorry. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Just go back

to bed and get some rest. I won’t let anyone else disturb you.”

Once the door was closed I let the tears fall. When I’d told him to come deal with Nan I’d thought this

would be easier. I had hoped after her accident and her comment about being a part of the baby’s life

that she’d be more manageable. I was wrong. Coming here had been a bad idea.

My stomach cramped and I froze. I sat still and waited on the baby to kick and reassure me everything

was okay. Nothing happened. I put both my hands on my stomach and the cramp came again. Wincing

I tried to calm my heart as it started to race. Something was wrong. A wave of nausea hit me and I

laid back and closed my eyes. Maybe I’d gotten up too quick this morning. I needed to start being

more careful. All the high-strung tension in this house was getting to me.

I closed my eyes and took slow deep breaths. No more cramps came and I felt a soft kick against my

hand. With that little bit of reassurance I drifted off to sleep.

When I opened my eyes the sun had moved and was shinning brightly through the windows. It had to

be after lunch. I reached for my phone and checked the time. It was one. I must have been more tired

than I thought.

I rolled over to get up and a tray of food was sitting on a small table beside the bed. I wrapped the

sheet around me and went over to it. I smiled as I picked up the small note with Rush’s familiar

scrawl on it.

I’m sorry about this morning. You were exhausted and I unloaded on you. None of this is your

fault. I just want to get it all over with and get you back home. Eat something. I’m going to go see
if I can talk to Kiro.

I
love you more than life,

Rush.

I picked up the silver cover that had been protecting my plate to find fresh strawberries and cream,

salmon, and a slice of toast. My stomach still wasn’t feeling that great so I decided to stay away from

the salmon but I took a strawberry and dipped it into the cream before taking a bite. The sweet taste

hit my tongue and I felt better. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I finished all the strawberries and toast before getting up and going to get a shower.

It was abnormally warm for the end of November. I had put on shorts and a tee shirt and come outside

to enjoy the heat of the California sunshine.

Blaire still hadn’t come out of the room. If she wasn’t up soon I was going to get her a new plate of

food and go feed her myself. I was glad she was getting sleep but she needed to eat too. Harlow had

said she didn’t think Blaire ate much at dinner last night. I should have stayed with her and gone after Nan once I had Blaire tucked away in bed.

If my overly dramatic sister wasn’t so damn volatile I wouldn’t be trying to help her. I just wouldn’t

be able to live with myself if I ignored her and something happened to her. As much of a pain in the

ass as she was, she was still my sister. I still saw the little girl with pigtails smiling up at me with a toothless grin. She’d been mine when we were growing up. No one else took care of her. It was hard

for me to forget that.

“Where’s that girl of yours?” Kiro asked as he sauntered out to the back patio where I’d decided to

hide from Nan.

“She’s sleeping,” I replied, glad to see Kiro was outside smoking instead of inside.

“She’s a sweet thing. Reminds me of my Harlow,” he said before sticking the cigarette he was

holding back between his lips.

“Yeah. She’s pretty damn perfect,” I agreed.

“You need to protect her a little more from Nan. She was spilling venom all over her last night. Your

girl handled it well. I was damn impressed. But you need to take better care of her,” he drawled then

flicked ashes from his cigarette before turning and walking back to the house.

I started to ask him what he was talking about when Nan came barreling out of the door wearing a

bikini and a pair of stilettos.

“What’re you doing, girl?” Kiro asked her in an annoyed tone.

“Going to get some sun. Why? You want to join me? Maybe talk to me?” Nan spat out hatefully. I

wanted to shake her and ask her why she had to be so damn difficult.

“No. I wanna know when you’re gonna move your ass outta my house. You keep stirring up drama.

Harlow won’t even come out of her damn room. It’s time you go harass your momma for awhile and

leave me in peace.” I winced at the sight of the pain in Nan’s eyes. Damn, Kiro was heartless.

“Why am I even trying? You don’t want to know me. You don’t care to know me. You have Harlow

and that’s all you want. I’m nothing to you,” Nan screamed.

“Harlow isn’t a mean bitch, Nan. Try being a normal human and I just might want to get to know you.

I didn’t stay with your momma for a reason girl. Guess what the reason was,” he snarled and pushed

past her and into the house.

Nan’s eyes looked empty as she stood there staring at the door. Dammit. I stood up and went over to

her. She noticed me and shook her head. “No. I don’t want you either. You hate me too. You picked

her. Everyone picks someone else. No one wants me,” Nan cried and spun around and took off

running back into the house.

I stopped at the door and listened as her heels clicked loudly on the floor until they faded away. I

would have to go get her and talk to her but I was going to give her time to calm down. She needed

some alone time.

“That didn’t sound good,” Blaire said, breaking into my thoughts. I turned to see her walking down

the stairs. Her long blond hair was pulled up and she was wearing a light blue swimsuit with a white

see through cover up that hung off her shoulder and hit at mid thigh. Her eyes looked rested but what

she’d just heard had caused a worried frown.

“Yeah, it was brutal,” I replied, closing the distance between us and pulling her to me before I kissed

those pink full lips. I didn’t like seeing her frown so much. She slipped her arms around my waist and

opened her mouth to me. I tasted the minty flavor of her toothpaste and enjoyed the silky warmth of

her mouth.

She moved her lips over mine and a soft moan escaped her mouth. Taking her back upstairs to the

bedroom was sounding good. She started to pull back and I gazed down into her heavy lidded eyes.

She was smiling contentedly. “Harlow said it was warm today. I thought I’d come get some sunshine.

I’ve been inside too much,” she said.

She needed fresh air. “I think that’s a good idea. Why don’t you go lay down in one of the lounge

chairs and I’ll rub your feet.”

Her eyes twinkled with excitement and I almost laughed. She loved having her feet rubbed lately. I

knew it was because she was carrying more weight with the baby and she wasn’t used to it. “That

sounds wonderful,” she agreed and hurried over to settle in the closest lounge chair.